World's Finest Trilogy
by Dalsai
Summary: Part 3: World's Bravest- A warrior seeks blood. Delta Red embarks on a quest to stop him from killing. Will their past allies be able to escape the horror? Rated PG-13 for scenes of violence and murder
1. World's Greatest

Beautiful Stranger  
  
He fastened his claw to his hand, but left his mask off for a little while longer. He gazed into the mirror, at his beautiful face, unstained and untainted. His long hair trailed on the floor. A man coming in from behind interrupted him. He quickly fastened his mask to his face, so he wouldn't disgrace his beauty before the battle. The man spoke a little reluctantly. "Señor, la lucha esta alrededor comenza."  
  
The man replied quickly, "Si." He could hear the crowd chanting in the background, but he knew she was silently waiting for him. A voice was booming on the loudspeaker. He stood up and stepped into the smoke filled room. He could hear the cage rattling from the betters, waving their tickets in their hands. He chuckled at the thought while he glanced at his opponent, already standing in the ring. The loudspeaker boomed "Y ahora, viniendo adentro, el campeón, Vega Fabio De Cerna." The crowds cheered as he stepped into the caged ring. He glanced down at the snake tattoo on his chest. The white mask he wore concealed his actions, but he was smiling at the moment. He didn't have to look for the girl. She always sat in the exact same place. She always wore the exact same clothes to the fight. He remembered how he had gotten to this moment, from the very first moment he saw her, the first moment he saw Cammy.  
  
The message from Shadaloo  
  
The blades slashed easily across the man's chest. His blood dripped onto the floor from Vega's claw. The man lay in a huddled mass on the floor. Vega stood among the cheering crowd as he took his mask off, holding it in his hand, while he licked the warm blood off of one of the blades of his claw. He turned his back and through a rose over his shoulder onto the opponent's back. He chuckled and walked back into the locker room. The other fighters cleared a path for him. He unfastened his claw and looked at his perfect face in the mirror. He licked his upper lip and glanced at the other fighters, many of who were watching him. He slowly slipped his hand back into his claw and quickly thrust it into the air behind him. A few of the fighters jumped back, and he could not help but laugh at them. He grabbed his shirt, took his claw off, and proceeded to get dressed. He glanced down at his back and saw a piece of paper. A white letter with a skull and cross-bone seal. "Un hombre  
vistió en el rojo puesto eso adentro allí." He grabbed his bag and walked out onto the busy Barcelona street. He leaned against the wall and opened the letter. He was surprised to find that it was in English (which he could also understand). He couldn't make much sense of the letter. The word "Shadaloo" was continually repeated, and it talked about being recruited. It was signed simply with the name "Bison". Vega chuckled and tossed the letter to the side.  
  
"Heh, and cocky too..." Vega turned to see a man dressed completely in red. A cape trailed in the wind behind him. His feet were a few inches off the ground and a large, red hat covered his head. "One of the fastest warriors in the world, a matador and expert cage-fighter. Not to mention a taste for blood."  
  
"Your point?" Vega replied.  
  
The man laughed deeply. "I've been watching you Vega. I can give you all the blood you desire. It's time for the world to see a beautiful warrior."  
  
"We all know they won't get that out of you." Vega retorted. Bison just laughed at him. He enjoyed the cockiness in his soldiers, and he knew he had Vega.  
  
The first assignment  
  
Bison assured Vega that he could continue his normal life. Bison would contact him. Vega didn't find another note till a month later. He laughed at the note's instructions.  
  
The plane trip was short from Spain and he soon arrived at the English city. He waited until night, and then he donned his mask and his claw. The end of the letter simply stated, survival of the strongest, a reality Vega knew quite well. He made sure no one was walking by the room of the hotel before he stepped out of the window. He easily scaled the first few floors down in a couple of minutes. When he was around three stories from the bottom, he turned and flipped down to the ground. Vega moved quickly through the shadows of the dark street. He rapidly navigated through the streets till he reached his target. A large apartment building loomed in front of him. He chuckled as quickly began to climb the large brick structure, making sure to navigate between the windows. He headed for the only lighted window on the building. When he arrived at the final ledge he hung on with his un-clawed hand and peered into the window. Around the world, there were hundreds of other  
operatives who were about to do the exact same thing he was. Vega swung into the window, shattering the glass on the floor. A man was sitting down reading the paper while the women was reading a book. The women screamed as Vega stood up in the pile of broken glass. He rolled on the ground and silenced her screams. He then turned and stabbed the man in the chest before he could do anything. The women lay in her own blood with two holes in her neck. He turned and saw a closed door at the far corner of the room. He licked the blood off the tip of one of his claws and walked toward the room. The door was locked, but Vega slashed through the wood and pushed the door open. There was a small bed with a shivering mass in it. He walked up to it and put his hand over the girl's face. The girl was much smaller than he was, so he easily pulled her out of the bed. He hit the girl in the head to muffle her cries (as well as getting her outside without her seeing the two huddled bodies  
along the floor). He barely escaped the room and worked his way to the roof before he heard sirens screeching down the street. He quickly jumped the roof gap before anyone realized he was escaping. He jumped roofs back to the hotel, slowly making his way back to the hotel, holding the unconscious girl in his arms.  
  
The girl awoke in the hotel room, with her hands bound and tied to a chair. Vega's thin mass loomed over her. He grabbed her face and slowly began to talk to her. "Don't worry beautiful girl, you won't have to go through anything like that again." Vega caressed the girl's hair and chuckled. He held his claw to her forehead and she shook with fear. He slowly made his way down, finally deciding on her little cheek. He cut her just enough to draw blood, making sure he didn't do any more extensive damage. "I can't have a more beautiful fighter than I in Shadaloo." He chuckled as he knocked the chair over, with the girl in tow, and turned out the lights. He changed in the cover of the darkness and eventually was able to lie in his bed and fall into a deep sleep.  
  
The chest was much lighter when it didn't have anything in it. The girl was much heavier than he thought she would be. But he gave her a heavy sedative so he wouldn't have to deal with her moving. The street was a buzz with activity and talk of the murder. He placed the large chest in a taxi and began his way to his new home. He was dropped off about a mile away from his final destination and carefully made his way to the small airfield that would provide his escape. He met a Shadaloo soldier at the field who threw the chest into the back of the small plane. Vega jumped in the front and the pilot took off for Shadaloo.  
  
That was the first time Vega saw Cammy.  
  
The inner works  
  
He was also sure that was the last time he would ever see her. As soon as they arrived, the girl was dragged off and out of Vega's sight. The pilot also seemed to disappear from sight. Vega was about to walk into the large structure when a deep voice spoke from behind him. He turned around to see a large soldier with an eye-patch standing behind him. "So, you're the beautiful fighter. You don't look much, but you did your job well." Vega chuckled and the large man let out a hearty laugh. "Sagat's the name, Bison said you would be here. He expected no less than perfection from you. We suspect you weren't followed."  
  
"Of course." Vega replied.  
  
"Very well then." Sagat said. He then began to walk away; he beckoned to Vega to follow him. Vega looked to his side and saw that a small bag was placed there. In it were his claw and mask, as well as some clothes. He grabbed it and followed Sagat inside a large building.  
  
Vega gazed into a large room. Inside the room, there were children running around in uniform. One of the smaller boys fell down. Three armed soldiers grabbed the boy and dragged him into a back room. "Only the strong survive." Vega repeated to himself as he walked past the room. His quarters consisted mainly of a bad and a small dresser. There was a small mirror in the room barely large enough for him to see his own beautiful face. He wasn't there for too long before another soldier escorted him to a large room. He could recognize Bison's figure on a large platform, gazing at a gigantic screen. "You did well Vega."  
  
Those were the only words spoken to him at that time. He stayed in Shadaloo for about a week, so his tracks could be covered up, before he returned to Barcelona.  
  
The matador  
  
This day was devoted to the one activity that made Vega famous, bullfighting. He saw his first death in the ring. He got used to amateur matadors and slow horses getting gored. When he entered the ring for the first time, he was sure it would never happen to him. It was an event that he had trained for all his life. His first kill was in the bullring, when, after an hour of fighting it, he finally killed his first bull. The prize was his opponents ear, still warm from the long fight. The blood was all over the ground, and the ear itself was drenched in it. He doesn't know why he let the warm liquid drip onto his tongue, but from then on, he had a lasting taste for blood, as long as it was still warm.  
  
This bullfight seemed to be no different from any other. The amateurs had to have the bull worked on before they could fight it. When this method started to bore Vega, he "eliminated the middleman" so to speak, and began fighting fresh bulls, much to the crowd's approval. Vega didn't wear his usual purple and gold tights to the fight, and his mask lay waiting in the back. Vega's sequined "bullfighting suit" was hot and flashy, even though bulls couldn't see color. When the bull was released out of his pen, Vega was waiting for him. The crowd cheered as the bull rushed toward Vega. Vega jumped to the side, waving the long flag in the bull's face to attract its attention. He did this a few more times on the lumbering beast before he decided to end the fight quickly. He took out the sword, but made a fatal error in glancing up at the stands. Floating in the back behind all the fans was a man with a long cape, clad completely in red. Vega didn't hear the bull coming from behind  
him as it rammed into his back. He slid along the dirt, but quickly turned to face the annoying beast, grabbing his back in pain. The beast charged at him, but Vega would not be distracted again. He flipped up over the bull's back. When he landed, the sword lie in the bull's "kill spot", and the bull on the ground, dying instantly from the wound. The crowd was frantically cheering, never expecting the famous Juan Dela Vega to actually be touched by the target, much less rammed by it. While crews were running into the ring, Vega took out a small knife and sliced the ear off the bull. He did the usual work of letting a drop of blood drip into his mouth, even though this time it was only to appease the fans, since he had a more important issue on his mind. He bowed his head and began to walk out of the ring, pushing to the ground an assistant who wanted to check his health.  
  
The next encounter  
  
Things continued like this for a while. Vega would lead a normal life, than Bison, or a Shadaloo soldier would show up and give Vega an assignment. This encounter would lead to the destruction of a certain American who wanted to discover Shadaloo's exact whereabouts (for its only certainty was that is was in a hidden location). An event that would cause quite a stir and a day later a man named Charlie would vow to end Bison and Shadaloo. Afterwards, Vega dispelled the rumor that he was a declining matador by killing the next bull in under 30 seconds. Only a select few knew of Vega's involvement in Shadaloo, and they usually did not last long. This went on for about a year before Vega received a final visit from Bison. This time, Shadaloo would be known, and feared, by the entire world.  
  
Vega had seemed to rise in fame in the Shadaloo organization. He was one of the few soldiers who never failed a mission (those who did were never heard from again), and whenever he showed up, there was an aura of mysteriousness about him. Nearly every soldier feared Vega. Apart from Bison, only two soldiers (ugly, of course) weren't afraid of him. One was a grunt named Balrog, who Vega dismissed as too ugly to be important. The other was Sagat, the same man who Vega had met on his first visit to Shadaloo. Among these three, there was no ranking. These were the best there was in Shadaloo; the people Bison knew would always succeed.  
  
The next plane ride was just like any other. Vega continued to his usual quarters, where another letter, with the same skull and cross-bone seal, was waiting for him on his desk. The letter explained it all. Bison's use of Psycho Power had slowly drained him of his health. His body was slowly losing its energy. For this, Bison sought a new body. It just so happened that Balrog was to play a murderer and Sagat had another assignment. This left Vega open to the job. The one Bison sought was a female soldier who was much more skilled than most every other soldier in Shadaloo. Her name was Cammy, whom Bison had grown close to. She was merely one of the options Bison had, but he placed her in second priority, under only a lone warrior with great power. But Bison had lost track of Cammy after she was assigned to kill a voodoo master by the name of Dhalsim. Vega would have to track her down.  
  
The hunt  
  
Vega made his first stop in the Soviet Union, a common checkpoint for Shadaloo soldiers. But Cammy was not to be found in the area. Although he was stopped by a gruff and ugly Soviet wrestler. The soldier attempted to attack Vega, who laughed as he parried the hulking man's slow, predictable moves. The match ended quickly with Vega flipping off the wall, landing perfectly behind the man, and slamming the large man onto the cement. Vega cut the unconscious man's arm just enough to let the blood flow. He slowly took a taste, but then quickly spat the vile substance out.  
  
His next stop was India, where he angrily found out that the target was still alive, although he was not without battle-wounds. Vega saw the target from above with disgust. The fact that such an ugly man could survive a Shadaloo assassin was beyond him, but he had no intention of finishing the man when he had a more important assignment at hand. He decided to skip the next few checkpoints and meet her at the final checkpoint before Shadaloo.  
  
The city was on a shore and was actually quite beautiful. The salt air filled Vega's lungs. He did not have to wait too long for the girl to show up. He anticipated her progress quite well, for only a day after he arrived, she showed up, wearing a long red cloak. He waited for her to leave the building before making his presence known. "I assume that your Cammy?"  
  
The girl turned mechanically toward Vega. "Analysis complete, person identified as Vega, ughh."  
  
The last word surprised Vega a little. She must have been programmed to be disgusted with him, or possibly just the beautiful in general. "Bison requested that I brought you to him in person. It also appears that you did not finish off your target."  
  
The girl replied in an equally programmed manner. "The target is of no concern, it is neu, neutralized."  
  
Ahh, she didn't recite it perfectly. Could she be rebelling against her programming? Or possibly be faulty? A faulty soldier would be something to destroy, but she does appear to have strength. I can see why he would choose her for his next host. Vega thought to himself. He walked toward her and lifted his arm to her. "Here, you're coming with me."  
  
"Hostility detected, entering offensive mode."  
  
The first fight  
  
The girl spun and swung at Vega with her fist. She caught Vega off guard and almost succeeded in striking him. Vega swung his claw at her, but she rolled back and out of the way. She charged at him, feet first and spinning all the way to the ground. Vega flipped back, but succeeded in punching the ground right after she moved. "Cannon Strike!" the girl yelled out as she slammed her foot into Vega's chest. Vega fell back a little, but still managed to land on his feet. He jumped onto the wall, but flung himself off just slightly over her head. He descended and flung his claw out at her. She jumped back just enough for Vega to flip onto her shoulders, then to her back. He fastened his arms around her chest and flung her over his back, slamming her neck into the ground. He pinned her to the ground and slammed his un-clawed fist into her skull. He slowly got up and stood over the unconscious women. As quickly as the fight had started, it was over.  
  
Why would Bison want her, their are many soldiers in Shadaloo to embody? She looks to be different from all the others. I don't know why, but something compels me to her. Vega knew he must ask Bison why he chose this girl.  
  
The confrontation  
  
Vega had no escort to Shadaloo this time. Fortunately, Shadaloo wasn't too far away. He carried the girl in his arms and could not help examining her beauty. He knew from that, that she must be a great fighter. He did not have any of her blood to taste, so he slit his tongue a little and let the warm liquid run into his mouth. He shook the way a drug addict shakes when he pushes the contents of his needle into his skin. The night he arrived was in the midst of a thunderstorm. He dropped the girl on the ground and immediately, two soldier women picked her up and dragged her underground. "Well done, Vega, I knew I could count on you."  
  
Vega didn't want to hear any idle talk. "Just cut to the chase, Bison. Why do you want her, their are many soldiers here?"  
  
Bison, a bit shocked, looked at Vega furiously. "You dare question me?" he yelled out.  
  
"Why this girl Bison? What makes her any different from these other prototypes?" Vega insisted.  
  
Bison took a step toward Vega "I do not, I repeat, do not need to explain my actions to you and I will not tolerate this insurrection you miserable peon."  
  
Vega spun back, fastening his claw and donning his mask. "You challenge the strongest fighter in the world, Bison? You chose me for my abilities, for both those and by beauty far exceed what you could ever wish. There are many able bodied fighters in this world, this one girl among your ranks is not one of the strongest."  
  
Bison had all he would take. He lifted up his arm and a dull purple glove came over his hand. Vega stepped back a little. Having never actually seen Bison fight before put him at a disadvantage. Bison yelled and his cape flew back in the wind. The glow encompassed his cape and illuminated Bison. "You dare question my power? Who are you to question the power of a god? Do you wish to see true power, Psycho Power?" Bison's voice seemed larger than life, encompassing Vega in a blanked of both power and fear he had never felt before. Bison glowed as he levitated far above Vega's head. Vega took a step backwards, not expecting what he saw. Bison's cape encompassed him and a glowing ball of energy formed in his hands. "Psycho Crusher!" he yelled out as her flew towards Vega. Vega knew he could not dodge the blow and attempted the only thing he could, blocking the attack. The blow pushed Vega back several feet and still continued the blow. The evil energy flowed through Vega's body,  
making him weak. At the end, the ball of pure energies in Bison's hand release, pushing Vega through the air. Vega's back struck a tree behind him. He quickly felt the tree snap behind him, but soon after, all consciousness left him. Bison stood, kneeling on the ground, his energy drained. Two more soldiers (identical to the others) helped Bison to his feet. "Throw him somewhere out of the way. In the morning, execute him."  
  
The fall  
  
Vega woke up pinned to the wall. His back was throbbing and he was without both his mask and his claw. The room was dim, lit only by the small window on the door. It was freezing cold in the room also. I would have expected Shadaloo to have a more formal dungeon. A freezer is hardly an ample substitute for me. Two makeshift shackles held him to the wall. His feet were almost crushed by a heavy box placed against him. He slowly wriggled his feet from behind the box, instead, placing them on top of the box. He maneuvered his hands out of the shackled and soon was able to move freely. He saw what he could outside and soon kicked the door open. The soldiers (without explicit orders), simply placed Vega's gear in a nearby room. He soon fastened his claw, but left his mask off. He began to search for a way out. The base seemed to be devoid of any actual activity. He had to dodge a few guards, but not as many as he would have expected. He slowly made his way through the base until  
he reached a big room. Inside the room, there was a large machine, in which the female soldier seemed to be suspended in midair.  
  
Meanwhile, the top floor was much more active. In front of Bison stood a women by the name of Rose. Rose was a powerful psychic and came to prevent Bison's use of "Psycho Power". "It ends here, Bison" she said assuredly.  
  
Bison didn't even take notice of the words the women spoke. "So, it was you who defeated the warrior I chose for my next host."  
  
She replied laughingly "Yes, he was a very strong warrior, and he has great untapped energy, but he is still just a boy. And you will not take over anyone."  
  
Bison laughed back at her "And I suppose you will stop me?"  
  
She responded by launching a ball of energy at Bison. Bison jumped high over it and landed on the other side of the women. He slammed his fist into her back, which sent her flying across the ground. He responded with a quicker ball of energy. But when he jumped in the air, she met him with a fist to his chest. He fell to the ground with a thud, but quickly sprang back up. He launched his ball of energy at her, to which she responded in the exact same way. Their energies clashed and slowly began to build. Rose and Bison both fought by increasing their energies, neither one proving that they were superior. The balls of energy grew and grew until they could not be contained within the space between them. Rose yelled out and a bright light overtook them all. When it cleared, Bison lay on the floor, grabbing his heart.  
  
Vega stared at the beautiful soldier in the machine. He tried to reach in to touch her, but his arm could not make it past the force field. He repeatedly punched it but found no result. When he fastened his claw, it too, had little impact. He kicked the machine and found the field flickered. At this, several soldiers (all of whom were female), entered the room. "Bison keeps good company." Vega said to himself as he turned to face them. The soldiers were increasingly weak and eventually they all lay on the floor. He turned to the machine and pushed his claw into the side. Sparks flew, but the girl fell out of the force field and onto the ground.  
  
Rose stepped over Bison. "It's over now" She said forcefully. She began to focus all her energy around her. Bison could only watch in pain. He didn't hear the alarm and the notice for imminent destruction. Rose yelled out and her energy overtook both of them, and hopefully would end up destroying Bison.  
  
A military plane flew just miles from the destination. A man in an orange military vest and green pants made his way toward Shadaloo. He spoke with a female police officer on the other end, reporting in on his findings.  
  
Vega looked around as the siren went off. He was about to run out when he remembered the girl, who was still lying on the ground. He stood over her unconscious but beautiful body. "I can not let one with so much beauty perish." He put out his arm and grabbed the girl as if she was conscious. "Come with me, beautiful soldier." Vega held the girl over his back and began to run to find a way out. He found an emergency exit that led to the mountains. A large metal door slammed down behind him, which activated a large elevator that rose up out of the ground. He soon found himself immersed with sunny skies, and a Shadaloo that was no-where in sight.  
  
Somehow or another, Bison survived the assault. He slowly got up to his feet and began to laugh, much to the surprise of Rose. A dull blue flame naturally encompassed his hand as it had never done before. His eyes grew white and each step he took made the earth shake so much more. He would have killed her right there if he didn't then hear the siren, and the countdown, which signaled Shadaloo's destruction in the near future. The psychic took this opportunity to escape, which Bison regarded very apathetically. Soon, a large explosion ripped through the base and the ground above it. It destroyed nearly everything in it's radius and damaged what didn`t perish.  
  
The pilot looked down at the explosion. He was speechless at what had just happened. The radio boomed questions and he had to regain his composure before he could answer them. "Charlie, what's going on, what was that tremor?"  
  
The pilot replied solemnly "Our mission has ended, Chun-Li, Shadaloo has just exploded. There is wreckage everywhere. No one could have survived that." Charlie flew the plane out of the way, not noticing what was below him.  
  
Among the wreckage, a large red cape lay under a cement wall. But it slowly began to disappear and the wall began to rise. Bison soon stood up, no more wound than the knowledge that he must rebuilt the wreckage. Among it all, he began to laugh. The horrible sound filled the air around him. He spread out his arms and a blue energy encompassed his body. He knew he would not need a new host body.  
  
Rose stood on a plateau, horrified at what she saw. Bison was clear within her psychic powers to see, and she shuddered at what occurred. She knew what had just happened, her attack didn't kill him. She had given him a new found power. A power he didn't have to channel through his cape, a power that she could not defeat. What have I unleashed upon this world? she thought to herself. She turned her back on Shadaloo, never to return to what she knew would only grow more and more evil.  
  
Cammy did not see the explosion take place. Vega saw no more than the cloud of smoke rise into the air. He turned his head toward the girl in his arms. "It looks like only the most beautiful survived." He rubbed her smooth face and began to walk back home, back to Spain. 


	2. Part 2: The between years

well, even though there was only 1 reply, here is the next part. I would enjoy some more reviews, bad or good. This, though, has fueled me into planning another SF work after I'm through with the next part.  
  
PART II  
  
Beautiful Stranger (part II)  
  
Vega smiled behind his mask. His opponent shuffled his knife between his hands. His body was shaking. Vega knew he would win. The man lunged at Vega, who simply sidestepped it. He slammed his foot into the man's backside, sending him stumbling forward. The crowd laughed and the announcer repeated the fight play-by-play. Vega began to chuckle, but stopped it shortly. His opponent was sweating profusely and shaking. I hate weak opponents; he said to himself and began to walk toward the man. The man began to walk away from Vega, still clutching the knife. Suddenly, Vega took off into a sprint and flipped over the man. He swung his claw and slashed the man in his back. He slid on the ground, sweeping the man, then rolled on top of him, knocking the wind out of his opponent. He stood above his opponent, disgusted at his ugliness. He leapt up and grabbed onto the cage. The crown began to yell frantically as Vega climbed further and further up. He then stopped, turned his head to  
see his opponent, let out a high pitched scream, and jumped toward his opponent. Vega's claw slashed through the man's skin, covering the floor with blood. Vega turned and walked out of the ring as an emergency crew entered. The man had the brains never to step into the cage again. All the ugly should perish at my hands, the beautiful should rule. He didn't spend too much time changing like he had done in the past. None of the other fighters would approach him, but he didn't care. He knew he was better than all of them. He knew he was worth more. He quickly put on some normal clothes and went to meet her.  
  
She was waiting for him where she always did. She looked up and saw him making his way through the crowd. "You were great, Vega." She said to him softly.  
  
He rubbed his fingers through her hair, then put his hand on her back. "Lets get going, the day is still young." She smiled and they walked onto the cramped street in Barcelona, just like Vega had done so long ago, but this time, there was no Bison. Whenever he was with Cammy, Vega had a complete change in personality. He never cleaned the blood off his claw with his tongue, nor tasted any blood for that matter. He was mellower and less cocky with her around. Cammy never saw any other side of Vega (except for in the ring, but he wasn't as bad as he was before). When Cammy was around, Vega only got violent when he was a matador or a cage-fighter. But, regardless of all this, Vega didn't have any deep relationship with Cammy. He was much too infatuated by her beauty to do so, and she depended on him. He was the link to her past.  
  
While she was a soldier in Shadaloo, Cammy had all her memories brainwashed away. The only survivor from Shadaloo that could help her was Vega. At the same time, Cammy brought out the humanity in Vega, which was a long lost feeling to him. Cammy and Vega lived in Barcelona for only a few weeks now, but their lives were more complete than they had ever been before.  
  
The night  
  
She was only a little girl then. She was bound up, tied to a chair. She had cloth in her mouth and terror in her eyes. The rest was blurry to her. She remembered the pain of the blade, cutting deep into her skin, forever leaving a scar that would remind her of that day. She wanted to scream out but couldn't. She saw the blood that drizzled down her cheek. It was met with the tears that streamed down her eyes. She could almost see the metal object cutting her, but it was encompassed in the haze. She could do nothing; she could only sit there, helplessly.  
  
Vega was watching Cammy toss and turn in her covers. It was a little past midnight and Cammy was tired. He sat there, staring at her from a window, gazing upon her beauty. He knew something was different about her, but he could not tell what. She suddenly sprang up in her bed. Her hair fell down her back and the sweat fell off of her head. She was breathing deeply and timidly, as if she was expecting something unexpected. Vega crouched under the window, not wanting Cammy to know she was being watched. He pained to know what she dreamed about. He waited on the balcony till he saw he fall into another deep sleep. He slowly opened a window and crept inside the room. He was very light on his feet and could even get through the oldest floors without making a sound. He stood beside Cammy's bed, staring at her beautiful face. He longed to touch that very face, but did not wish to wake the sleeping beauty. So Vega simply stood there, watching that face. When Cammy began to stir and  
cautiously opened her eyes, Vega was back on the balcony, leaving no sign he had ever been there. That's where Vega stayed for a few minutes. He then scaled the wall back to his room. Where he slept lightly, are carefree.  
  
The dance  
  
The next morning, Cammy woke up early and began to walk through the large house. She stopped by a room where she heard quite a racket. She peered inside the cracked door to see Vega, who seemed to be fighting a dummy. She walked into the room, but Vega didn't notice her (for his back was turned). He continued to strike the target as fast and as hard as he possibly could bear. The bag shook violently with each blow. Vega then stopped, sweating and breathing hard. He reached down and took some rather large ankle weights off his legs, then his hands. He turned and bumped into Cammy.  
  
"Oh, sorry." Cammy apologized. Vega walked around her, not taking his eyes off of her. He rubbed his face with a towel and observed Cammy, who appeared to be examining the target, still clad in her nightclothes.  
  
"Do you not remember any of the training either?" He asked the inquisitive girl.  
  
She turned and rubbed her head. "What ever they did to me, they didn't expect me to remember a thing. When you removed my circuitry, everything was lost."  
  
Vega inquired further, "but you still have dreams about those moments?"  
  
"So far, only of times that I assume are before. I don't remember any of Shadaloo."  
  
Vega turned his head down, but raised his eyes. "If you want to practice some, I'm finished for the day."  
  
She didn't even wait for him to finish before she slammed her foot into the bag. The bag swung a little and Cammy turned and slammed her other foot into the bag. The bottom half of the bag fell to the floor, and the top half dangled by the chain that connected it to the ceiling. Cammy turned to a very shocked Vega and began to giggle. She then walked out of the room. Vega just rubbed his head and began to examine the dismantled bag. She's got strong legs. He thought to himself. He walked back to his room to clean up.  
  
He saw Cammy again at the breakfast table. She was sipping a tall mug of coffee and nibbling on a croissant. She was reading a pastel-colored card with a fancy seal. Vega sat down with his own cup of coffee and she showed it to him. "This came in the mail, it was addressed to you." Vega opened the envelope. Inside was an invitation to attend a dance at the Saló del Tinell. He showed Cammy the invitation.  
  
"Saló del Tinell?" She asked.  
  
"It's a royal residence in Barcelona. They hold a dance every year. Only the top of society are invited." Vega explained. He smirked out "Must be because I'm one of the best matadors."  
  
Cammy knew Vega was only joking. Vega was a Spanish noble, he probably wanted to act casual for Cammy's sake. Cammy could see right through Vega. "So, are you going?"  
  
Vega didn't even bother to avert his gaze from the window. "It would be an insult if I declined it. But, of course, it's customary to bring a guest."  
  
Cammy looked a bit stunned. She then blushed. "The thing is, I can't dance."  
  
Vega laughed under his breath. "Don't worry, I'll teach you, it's not that hard."  
  
Cammy looked down at her lap while Vega finished his coffee. "Vega?"  
  
Now he turned his face to look at her. "Yes?"  
  
She continued timidly. "I have noticed that you live in this big house, all alone. Why is that?"  
  
Vega sighed deeply. His right arm began to rub his left shoulder. "It was about ten years ago. My mother grew ill. My father spent every waking moment taking care of her. Everything revolved around her. Every doctor said there was nothing we could do, that she was on her deathbed. I always hated those ugly bastards for saying that, but they were right. About one month later, she died. My father sunk into a deep depression. He started to drink more and more, and he would lounge around the house all day. One day, he entered the bull ring. I thought that he would find some joy in it. I knew something was wrong when he almost fell entering the ring. He was drunk. He didn't even bother to fight. He threw the cape over the already bleeding bull and stood there while it charged at him. He died a painful death, gored at the hands of the bull, while the ugly masses just stood there and watched him die." Vega clenched his fist. Vega hated to lie to Cammy, but he certainly could not  
tell her the truth of his families demise. He still remembered the night vividly. The sword he clasped was fit for the wildest beast, the bull. It was the dead of night as he walked down the long dark hall. The sword shimmered in the moonlight. He remembered vividly as he pushed the door open. They were asleep, lying in their beds. A smile gripped the young boys face. He walked away from the scene. He knew he would have to play the victim in the morning as he wiped his feet and dropped the sword. No one would expect a fifteen year old boy capable of murder.  
  
Cammy was about to apologize, but couldn't find the words. She was fortunate to not remember her parents, or see them die. Vega had no such luck.  
  
That was the last Cammy mentioned of it. For a week Vega devoted his time to two causes, regaining her memory and learning how to ballroom dance. She had the hardest time with the former. She drew all she knew off of the dreams she had, but somehow, she began to lose them, and all that came with them. She only had what she had seen and what Vega had told her, and they weren't enough.  
  
The ball  
  
Cammy's eyes slowly opened with the sun shining on her face. She rubbed her head and her eyes tried to adjust to the brightness. She slowly got up and walked out of her room. Something caught her eye as she walked past the room where Vega usually spent his mornings. A red, silk dress hung on the wall. Cammy walked over to it, a confused look on her face. She touched it, only to have a surge of emotion rush through her body. She pulled her hand back, then touched it again. She felt energy, as if the dress itself was giving her dreams. She tried it again but got no response. She didn't see Vega the whole day.  
  
As the sun set, Vega was not yet in sight. Has he forgotten? Has anything happened? She worried. She heard a knock on the door. She opened it to see a short man in a black suit standing there.  
  
"Mrs. Cammy?"  
  
She responded timidly. "Yes, my name is Cammy."  
  
"The coach will leave in twenty minutes. Your host is waiting for you."  
  
Twenty minutes later, she was outside, waiting in the coach. It slowly started to pull away from the estate and she saw the lit house gleam with pride. The coach pulled up to a large building. She looked around for Vega, but he was not among the crowd. Cammy's door jarred open and she anxiously stepped out of the coach. She was relieved to see that it was Vega holding the door open. "Where have you been?" She whispered to him.  
  
"I had some business to take care, hope I didn't worry you." He said. He could not suppress the smile on his face. She just lowered her head as they stepped into the ballroom, arm in arm.  
  
From the beginning Cammy knew she did not fit in. She slowly felt the scar on her face and looked at the crowd. Gaudy and trashy women were mixed with classy women. The assorted prostitutes and whores, abandoned by their dates, were left to wander the dance hall. This place was nothing as Cammy had expected. She stayed wary of both crowds, convincing herself to just hold off for a few hours. Vega told her to just wait where she was. She wanted to leave. She had pictured a large ball, with dancing and laughing. Vega convinced her that this would be classy. Whether it was meant to be or not, it was turning out to be a masquerade of hookers and tramps, moving in on there next victim, the quiet girl sitting down, waiting for her date to return.  
  
"My, my now isn't this a pretty little thing?" One of the tramps exclaimed while circling Cammy. The girl was fat and had a tight black dress, which left her saggy leg revealed. She had makeup which was caked on her face. She turned to her companions, all with equally caked on makeup, but with varying degrees of body weight. Cammy sort of hunched down in her seat, hoping Vega would return.  
  
Vega had finally tracked down some of the wine. He didn't realize that he was on the opposite side of the floor as Cammy. He had stumbled through the busy dance floor, on which Cammy and Vega had spent most of the time, and had found a waiter with a large tray filled with glasses of red wine. He swiftly grabbed two glasses while the waiter was moving toward a richer couple and clasped them between his fingers. He began to make his way back through the crowd.  
  
"It looks like this little whore lost her date." One of the ladies said.  
  
Cammy just lowered her head, not wanting to get involved. "He's coming back." She said quietly.  
  
The girls all started to laugh and the largest girl stuck her face in Cammy's. "They all say that, but guess what, they never do. They leave us here and hit the road."  
  
Cammy spoke in the same manner as before. "I'm not a prostitute."  
  
The large lady stood straight up. "It looks like we got someone here who thinks she is better than us."  
  
Cammy tried to defend herself. "I didn't say anything like that."  
  
The women didn't even listen. "It looks like this pretty little thing thinks she is better than us." She grabbed Cammy's cheeks and squished them together. She screamed and brought her hand up, slapping it across the lady's face. The lady stumbled back a few feet. "Oh that's it, now your dead." A swift foot slammed into the women's nose. The women fell backwards. Blood drenched her face and dripped onto the floor. She stared at her shaking hand and Cammy chuckled. It appeared that she had gained something from Vega after all. The second women was hit with a foot to the bosom. She fell through a table and clenched her breast in pain. The third women seemed to begin to back off. She was met with a stern hand on her shoulder. She turned to see the night hunter looming behind her, a frown on his face.  
  
"The ugly must perish, you'll be the first to go." The women was about to scream when she felt the fist fly into her skull. Vega walked to the prostitute, his hand wrapped around her skull. He began to squeeze, crushing the women's head.  
  
"Vega Fabio De Cerna!" A snarl spread over Vega's face. He whipped around, forgetting the whore, turning to see a man with a frown spread across his face.  
  
"You will never call me that name again."  
  
"Vega, you know very well why you were told to come here tonight."  
  
"Yes, I know well. You always did have a problem with perfection."  
  
Cammy turned to Vega, a stunned look on her face. "Vega, what aren't you telling me?"  
  
Vega didn't avert his gaze. "Cammy, leave this place now. You're no longer safe here."  
  
The man interrupted the conversation. "Yes, leave, you wouldn't want to see him killed."  
  
The room slowly started to filter out. Everyone knew the dance was over, the main goal of the night was to kill the Spanish Ninja. Cammy did not leave as Vega had asked. She waited around as people fled into the streets. The room was nearly empty and seemed quite larger than it had before. Vega and the other man stood in the middle. The face-off lasted for several minutes. Cammy understood what was going on, Vega was waiting for him to make the first move.  
  
"I'm surprised you let the innocents escape."  
  
"All the less incrimination." Vega chuckled in reply.  
  
The man frowned. He threw off his coat and drew out a sword. Cammy understood now that this man was a matador, he knew how to use the sword. Vega chuckled. He jumped to a stone pillar in the middle of the floor. The man stared and Vega clasped the pillar. Vega dropped from the pillar and rolled once to the man. Before the man could swing the sword down, Vega was before him, having donned his gleaming mask and deadly claw, although the man could not see him do it. The man jumped back and swung his sword down at Vega, who was much to far away to care. Vega stood to his feet and slowly began to walk toward the man. "Beauty, it is the most important of all traits. You lack it, so you would not know of the power you can hold when you gain it." The man began to walk backwards, keeping his distance from Vega. "But I am more than merely beautiful. I am perfect. I am the perfect soldier. I am what you wish to be. I am what you desire to become. But attacking me will do nothing of  
that sort." Cammy looked in horror at the fight which was taking place. She didn't notice that the large women behind her had gotten up, with a knife in hand, and was advancing to Cammy. As she was about to spring on Cammy, a fuzzy blur caught the women from behind. Cammy turned to see the knife hit the ground, and the women shaking uncontrollably, a claw ready to slice her neck. Cammy backed into a post, staring at what was taking place before her. Vega slashed the women, who fell to the ground. He let the blood drip from his claw and walked toward the man, who was still crouching away in fear. "I am the noble, I am the strong, I am the fast, I am perfection. I am all you wish." He stopped by a table. He quickly removed his mask and wiped his claw into a glass which was already filled with wine. He took the glass and raised the liquid to his lips. Cammy began to shiver as Vega drank the wine and blood mix. He threw the glass to the ground and donned his mask. "The wine  
taints it." He slashed a leg of the table and continued to walk toward the man. "There is no sweeter elixer than that which comes from humanity itself. It flows through their veins, waiting to be released. It is a taste fit only for the best. Your shaking now, you wanted to appear as a brave warrior, but you failed miserably. You thought you had me, you thought you had drawn me here. You are nothing, yet you wished to stand in front of perfection. Perfection is what will destroy you. Perfection will kill you."  
  
Vega wasted no time. He rushed toward the man, who futilely swung his sword at him, but only managed to slice the air in front of him. The man felt something on his back. He turned his head to see Vega standing with his back to him. Vega was laughing at the man. The man turned and tried to swing his sword at Vega. His arms followed through past Vega, but his hands did not. They lay on the ground, and the sword between them. The man was about to scream when Vega silenced him. The man fell to the ground, with a large, deep slash in his chest. Vega took his mask off. His finger swept the claw, beckoning Vega to sample the blood that lay on it. "The tainted blood of imperfection will not soil a perfect being. Cammy, it is no longer safe here, we must go."  
  
Cammy walked toward Vega, she shivered as she glanced at the women lying on the ground. He had taken the claw off, and she once again perceived the innocence which blinded her. She threw her arms around Vega, an act which surprised him greatly. She began to sob in his chest. "Where would I be if you never came to me? Where would I be without you?" She cried in her perceived innocence, thanking Vega for his deeds of rescuing her. But she had caught a glimpse of his true nature. He had now been tainted, and it proved to be perfect fodder to light the fire of her past.  
  
The hunted  
  
The train was the least monitored of escape routes. Vega knew he was the target. He wore a long trench-coat and let Cammy do most of the talking. They boarded the train with no difficulty and began to walk to their cabin. Vega was suspicious of everyone on the train. It was more crowded than usual and everyone seemed to be looking for him. He walked past a man with a bald head who was staring at Vega. Vega turned but the man was not watching him. Cammy was waiting in the cabin and Vega took off his coat. He rubbed his fingers through his hair and say down. Cammy shut the cabin door. "It'll be a long train ride. It will take us a night to get to the shore so we can head to Great Britain."  
  
Cammy looked out the window and asked. "Why Great Britain?"  
  
Vega replied. "Your accent is English, I was hoping you might regain your memory if you saw some familiar surroundings. You seem to remember things that happened before the brainwashing." She was silent and without a response. Vega laid back, but couldn't help but feel a strange aura on the train. Something didn't seem right to him.  
  
The train screeched to a halt the next morning. Vega and Cammy trudged out of the station and were soon on a boat heading for England. The boat ride was much shorter and they didn't talk much during it. Cammy seemed preoccupied with something, but Vega couldn't tell. He was worried about the same feeling that he had felt on the train. Once they reached the shore, another train ride awaited them. This one was to last overnight.  
  
The final dream  
  
She wanted to scream but could not. She was frozen with fear. The sting of the blade cutting her felt like a thousand needles over her body. She didn't know what would happen next. Was this man going to kill her? All she knew was that he was torturing her right now. The fuzziness was gone from this dream. Only the shroud of the darkness hindered her. She could not turn her head, for fear of being slashed again. The blood ran down her cheek. She turned her eyes to see the metallic blade pull away from her cheek. The blood dripped off of it. Her assailant said a few indistinct words. She slowly moved her eyes up to try to focus on his face. She couldn't quite make it out. The blade was coming from the top of the man's hand. He removed something off of his face, but she could not make out what. He lifted the blade, dripping with blood, to his lips. The blade came out clean, and she could see his face. It was unscarred and untainted. It was a beautiful face. She saw who sent her  
to Shadaloo, she saw who forced her into everything. She saw Vega.  
  
Breaking Away  
  
Cammy almost jumped from her bed. It was night outside, and a huddled mass lay on the opposite side of the cabin. Vega was fast asleep, and Cammy's bed was soaked with sweat. She slowly made it to her feet. Terror filled her eyes as she saw the man who had helped her so much. She slammed her fist into the sleeping man, who jolted as he stood up. "What the hell?" Vega asked as he saw Cammy in front of him, fury in her eyes.  
  
"You did it." were the only words that left her lips.  
  
Vega stood, not knowing how to react. "Did what?" were the only words he could think of.  
  
Now the rage was more apparent than ever. "Was I not even that important to you? Do you not remember what you did to me?" She swung her fist at his head again, catching him on the side. Vega stumbled, not knowing what to do. Cammy began to scream. "You forced me to lose my memory. You made my life a living hell of conformity to Bison. You did everything to me. I asked where would I be without you. Do you know where I would be? I would be at home, with my family. They would be alive, they would be well, I would be happy. But you took that away from me." Her voice lowered down, to where only Vega could hear it. "When you killed them." A look of shock spread over Vega's face. He couldn't react when she swung at his face again. Her foot raked his face, sending him to the ground. He began to get to his feet when she spun at him. Her feet sent him to the wall. She flipped back and opened the door.  
  
Vega chased her out to the hallway, but stopped there, staring at her running. That strange sensation that plagued Vega seemed closer than ever. He was surprised at the voice behind him. "Yes, she is faulty." Vega's eyes widened at the familiar voice. He did not even have to turn to see Bison. "Balrog, Sagat, kill her." He commanded and the bald man stood up, eye-patch and all. Balrog emerged from another cabin. They began to chase after Cammy.  
  
"They will all die, everyone who plagues this world with their ugliness. They will all feel my pain, my wrath, my perfection. I am what they only can desire to be." Vega said to himself as the two henchman chased the girl down the train.  
  
Her true power  
  
She quickly darted down the hall. Through the luggage car, she threw whatever she could in the way. Balrog smashed through a chair she threw in the way, and Sagat leaped easily over a crate. She ran through the last door, slamming it behind her. The last car of the train had no exit save a large door that was barred shut. She turned just fast enough to see a boxing glove smash through the door. Two figures stood in the door, and Cammy could only crouch back. The tall kick-boxer stepped forward first. Followed by the boxer in blue trunks, who banged his fists together. Sagat lunged at Cammy, who ducked under the knee. Balrog wound up his punch when Cammy yelled "Cannon Strike" and swung her feet into Sagat's chest. She flipped up just enough to avoid Balrog's punch, which landed in Sagat's chest. Sagat fell to a knee and gave Balrod a nasty look. Cammy spun and slammed Balrog in the back of the head. He turned, unphased, to her. His first punch landed at her chest, and the  
second in the head. She flew into a steal crate and was immediately hit by a wave of "Tiger" energy from Sagat. She slowly stood up, grabbing her chest in pain. Sagat laughed and raised his fist. She jumped toward Balrog while swinging at Sagat. She grabbed Balrog around the neck with her legs and slammed his head into the wooden floor. She was met with a "Tiger Uppercut" to the jaw. She wiped the blood off of her lip as the two men advanced on her again.  
  
She could not beat both of them. A pale light appeared in the cracks of the roof of the car. A loud humming sound make the walls resonate. A gunshot separated the car with the rest of the train and they started to slow down. The fighting stopped and they stared around. The large door flew open and they were met with machine guns. A booming voice launched at Balrog and Sagat. "Get your hands up. I repeat, you are officially under arrest by Delta Red." They threw their hands up and Cammy huddled down in the corner. She wanted to forget everything that happened. A man with black hair entered the cart. Several other soldiers entered the car, taking Balrog and Sagat out and escorting them, handcuffed, into the helicopter. The man approached Cammy, putting the machine gun to her head. Once he got a good look at her, though he drew it away. "Your not a member of Shadaloo, are you?"  
  
Cammy sat, shivering on the ground. "I don't remember a thing, why am I here? Why does Bison want me?" she repeated over and over to herself. He escorted her onto the helicopter, but she wouldn't talk more.  
  
He couldn't find anything else to say on her except that she was saved from Shadaloo and no one of that organization was found on the train. Thus began Cammy's life in Delta Red. 


	3. Part 3: Interpol and Delta Red

This part is shorter than the others, but if I combined the parts, it would be much too long. There isn't much action in this part, but the next one will be entirely action. Also, of Delta Red, only Wolfman and Lawanda are named, and even then, they only have a line or two spoken. EDIT: After looking around, I have found the names of the other 2 members. Matthew McCoy is the Cyborg (whom I called Maxus) and George Ginzu is the kid (whom I called Pidge). But they still have no stories.  
  
Beautiful Stranger (Part 3)  
  
It was a rainy morning in England, but it was the kind of light drizzle that made everything smell fresh without being too wet. Cammy's cloak covered her body but she let her head feel the rain, absorbing the sensation it brought. The walked through the puddles with light feet and an even lighter heart. For as long as she could remember, she was happy. She never told anyone about her stay with Vega, or of her Shadaloo days (mostly because she still couldn't remember), she was content with living in the moment on another slow day with her Delta Red comrades. A woman with long hair greeted her when she entered the building. "Hey, you just missed Colonel, he seems to be pissed at something."  
  
Cammy wondered if she had seen Colonel Wolfman, the man who rescued her, actually mad at anything. "Did he say what it was about, Lawanda?"  
  
Lawanda replied. "No, but he wanted to see you when you came in."  
  
Cammy bit her lower lip as she walked to the door with Wolfman's name on it. She slowly opened the door, and the large man with orange hair greeted her. "Ahh, here you are Ms. White." He didn't actually know her last name; he called her "White" for some unknown reason.  
  
"Umm, you wanted to see me?" Cammy asked apprehensively.  
  
Wolfman stared down at his desk. "I have some bad news. They've escaped."  
  
Cammy looked at him strangely. "Who escaped?"  
  
Wolfman laughed. "I can understand why your programming made you forget everything that happened in Shadaloo. You probably want to lose all the memories anyways." Cammy now understood what he was talking about. "Sagat and Balrog have escaped from prison. We've been sent a copy of the security tape. You may want to see this."  
  
He put the tape into a small television. The security camera captured, in black and white, the door of the prison blowing open in an explosion. A man levitated into the hallway, followed by a man wearing a mask. It then skipped to Bison releasing a black energy ball at the camera, ending its transmission. "Bison and Vega?" Cammy asked herself in amazement.  
  
"Oh, so I assume you know them quite well? We know Bison is the leader of Shadaloo, but who is the man you call Vega?"  
  
Cammy continued slowly, faking like she had to jog her memory. "He's a bullfighter, and a cage fighter, from Spain. He is very vain, which explains the mask, and he fights with a claw. He is fast and strong. I hate him."  
  
Wolfman continued. "It gets better." He was met with Cammy's gaze. "We've been assigned to take out Shadaloo. We are now part of a world taskforce, each putting up it's best, to get rid of Bison and Shadaloo." He didn't give Cammy a chance to protest. "This may help you regain some of your memory that your programming erased, as well as allow you a chance to get even. We leave tomorrow, so you'll need to get your things ready. We are off for the rest of the day. We will rendezvous with an American named Guile and a Chinese named Chun-Li tomorrow." Cammy stared down at the floor, and a smile crept upon her face.  
  
  
  
The Comrades  
  
Delta Red is an elite task force in England. It is comprised of only the best soldiers the country can offer. Colonel Wolfman, the leader of Delta Red, is a crack shot with his rifle. He has a distinctive scar over his eye, although he refuses to talk about it. He acts as a father figure to his comrades, and is a nice person to begin with. His short orange hair and strong body proves the fact that he is also a handsome man. He has been working on "lesser" missions against Shadaloo until he got his big break, arresting Balrog and Sagat. When they escaped he and Delta Red got put back into the limelight. Very few have damaged Shadaloo like he did that night, the only comparison is the untold story which led to Bison gaining true psycho power at the temporary expense of his base. He has been assigned to lead his team in conjunction with Interpol against Shadaloo.  
  
Lawanda is a strange character. She carries a huge sword on her back and can use it very proficiently. Her long blonde hair and gruff looks should separate her from Cammy, but the two have become best of friends since Cammy joined. Her leg strength is lesser only to Cammy's, but her arm strength strikes fear into the hearts of many men. She was among the first to be recruited to Delta Red, mainly for her reputation as the best female fighter in England. Her cockiness and confidence has led to many training fights with Cammy, and she strives to gain the acrobatics Cammy has. She holds a distinct hate for most men, although she considers her Delta Red friends to be different. Her father was a cruel man and an alcoholic. To escape being beaten and watching her mother suffer, she ran away. From there, Lawanda lived by fighting men in street fights. She stole the sword that now resides on her back. During one fight, she beat her opponent so severely that she was nearly arrested. Only when Wolfman suggested that she be the first member in Delta Red was she released. She has been working with them ever since.  
  
Matthew McCoy is by far the largest member of Delta Red. He towers over Wolfman and has twice the muscle mass. He isn't the best shot, but he is perfect for intimidation. McCoy has always been a fighter. When is school, he would always pick on larger, stronger classmates. He was always smarter than his opponent and usually won those battles. He continued these habits through school and was always the first one to get in trouble. He wanted to be the greatest fighter in England, so he was the first person to begin bodybuilding. His muscles grew to an immense size but his body was much too slow to be of any use. He took a gamble and had cybernetics implanted into his body. After over a day in surgery and months in rehabilitation, McCoy was as he is now. The surgery increased his body size, but still made him deceptively quick. His aim improved with the addition of a robotic eye, although not enough for him to use any gun shy of a fully automatic. But with this newfound power, he was not able to control it well. A few weeks later he was in prison, and nearly killing a man in a fight. Wolfman made him the next criminal to join Delta Red a few weeks later.  
  
George Ginzu was the most recent addition to Delta Red before Cammy showed up. He is a small boy of fourteen years, and unlike McCoy and Lawanda, he was never in danger of prison. Ginzu can barely hold a gun to fire, but is a computer wizard. He can crack the most complex codes with ease and eliminate any automated device that can be controlled with a computer. Because of this, Ginzu stays behind the scenes a lot, although he would love to get into the fight, regardless of his inability to fire weapons with any accuracy. Ginzu's story is probably the least interesting of the crews. He was an orphan whose parents were murdered. He didn't want to go with the police, so he ran away. He was almost free before he was picked up by an off-duty police officer in civilian clothing. His computer skills were noticed when, while waiting in the police station, he set off all the fire extinguishers in unison. He was assigned to Wolfman, who at this time wanted a trained officer to round off his squad. His spiky blonde hair makes him look like he's related to Lawanda, but is still very short in stature. He is usually quite mature for his age, but he sometimes fails to maintain his maturity at different occasions. He is happy being treated as an equal by Lawanda and McCoy and as a little brother to Wolfman.  
  
Cammy was the final member to join Delta Red. Wolfman rescued her on a train to London. For some reason, two Shadaloo officers, Balrog and Sagat were attacking her. She has befriended everyone in Delta Red now, who recognize her fighting ability. Trained by Shadaloo, she has proven to be the best fighter on the squad. And no one gets in her way when she is upset.  
  
The meeting  
  
The base of operations was in America. They had to be taken by military plane because of McCoy's size. It was a long and uncomfortable plane ride across the Atlantic, and was occupied mostly with briefing and bios of Shadaloo soldiers, particularly Bison. Cammy paid attention when Wolfman began mentioning the operatives on the mission. Along with Chun-Li and Guile, there were a pair of fighters who had fought Sagat, one of Shadaloo's top soldiers, before he joined Shadaloo. There was also a sumo wrestler who boasted very fast hand speed. They were infiltrating with around forty foot soldiers by boat.  
  
The plane landed smoothly on the runway. The group stepped out, expecting one of the operatives to greet them. Instead, two soldiers stood there. "We are here to escort you to the base." One of them said monotonously and still standing at attention. Wolfman stepped out and saluted the soldiers, who responded in the same manner. A large military van awaited them from the airport. They couldn't see out of the back and none of them could get into the front. "When here, you are to remain at base. We cannot afford outside interference or knowledge of what is about to take place." One of the soldiers said methodically to them. The light blinded them when they stepped out of the truck. They were in the middle of a large base of which they could not see the gate. The soldiers led them into a warehouse where briefing was taking place.  
  
Oh no, not more of this. Cammy thought to herself. A woman was leading the briefing, but she paused and looked to the back at them.  
  
"Nice of you to show up." She said sarcastically. Her voice then boomed out. "Briefing started an hour ago."  
  
"I apologize, our plane was late." Wolfman offered.  
  
Her tone remained unchanged. "Or maybe you wasted the time with pointless questions and dawdling." It wasn't a question to her, it was fact.  
  
"Man, she's a bitch." Ginzu whispered to Maxus.  
  
McCoy replied. "Nah, she's just a soldier."  
  
The woman's voice boomed again. "When you are finished with your conversation we will continue this briefing."  
  
They sat down and Chun-Li continued rambling. Maps of the target were among the slides shown on a large projector. Along with pictures of Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and Bison. The exhausting session lasted for one more hour after they arrived, and they left the place with dragging feet. "Don't worry about her." A soldier with long hair surprised them from behind. "She is actually quite nice if you don't piss her off."  
  
Lawanda retorted. "Sounds like someone we know." Cammy shrunk back in embarrassment.  
  
The man laughed. "My name is Guile. The woman was Chun-Li. We are heads of this operation."  
  
Wolfman stepped up. "I am Colonel Wolfman, leader of Delta Red. These are Cammy, McCoy, Lawanda, and Ginzu." He pointed to them as he said their names. Guile looked at Ginzu, but didn't say anything. Wolfman sighed when he saw Chun-Li walking out of the warehouse.  
  
"Guile, all preparation is ready. We are confirmed to leave in three days time."  
  
Guile responded. "At ease Chun-Li."  
  
Chun-Li stepped out of attention. She shook her said as if she wanted to apologize but didn't actually do it. "So, this is the group that is supposed to assist us?"  
  
Guile responded. "Yes, they are also the ones that captured Balrog and Sagat."  
  
Chun-Li retorted. "They didn't hold on to them very well did they?" A scowl spread across Wolfman's face. He would have responded if Chun-Li hadn't spoken. "Who is the kid? Isn't he a bit young to be a military boy?"  
  
Wolfman patted Ginzu on the back. "This is Ginzu. He is better with computers than everyone on your base combined. We would appreciate it if you didn't insult our ranks, since we were asked to come."  
  
"Yeah, quit being such a bitch." Cammy blurted out.  
  
As soon as she said that she wished she could take it back. She bit her lip and crouched back. Guile sighed and Chun-Li advanced toward Cammy. "While your here you will have to learn one thing. That is to stay out of my way." Chun-Li trudged off, and Guile was left to speak for her.  
  
"She's alright, once you get used to her."  
  
Wolfman responded cynically. "Yeah, I bet."  
  
Training  
  
The punching bag swayed as Cammy continued to pound it. The warehouse was empty, but loaded with training equipment. Delta Red had arrived after the normal training session for the soldiers. But Cammy liked the solitude after the morning's events. She didn't notice a man walk in until he got on a punching bag beside her. He had short, brown hair and wore a white karate uniform. His red bandana swayed behind his as he moved. He didn't speak and Cammy didn't see a need to speak with him. He jumped back and put his hands together. Cammy had never seen the attack he did next. A slow-moving, blue ball protruded from his hands. The man yelled out "Hakuten".  
  
"Never seen that before." Cammy smirked.  
  
The man didn't answer. The warehouse would have gotten quiet again if a familiar voice didn't boom in it.  
  
"Oh, there you are Ryu." Chun-Li bellowed. Chun-Li stopped when she saw Cammy. Cammy slammed her foot as hard as she could into the punching bag, sending the sand that filled it onto the floor. She was about to walk past Chun-Li when Chun-Li stopped her and walked to a fresh bag. Cammy couldn't see the kicks that slammed into the bag, but saw the sand falling onto the floor.  
  
"Impressive" Cammy stated.  
  
"There is a lot more where that came from." Chun-Li replied. Ryu stepped back.  
  
The two circled each other, feeling each other out. Chun-Li was ready to throw a punch when Ryu interfered. "We have too great a task ahead of us to fight. Now is the time to be allies."  
  
Chun-Li stared at Cammy, then stormed off out of the warehouse. "Thank you." Cammy said.  
  
Ryu looked back at the bag. "I did not do it for you; I did it for us all."  
  
The night  
  
Two days passed like the previous. Along the way, Cammy met the others that would assist them. Edmund Honda was a sumo wrestler who loved to eat. He wanted to show that sumo was a real martial art. Ken Masters seemed to have just been brought along because of his competition with Ryu, although he did prove to be faster than Ryu was. Ryu and Ken fought with very similar styles, but each had tweaked their own moves to suit their own special abilities. On the final night before the departure, Cammy was restless. Ginzu had already shown his computer prowess and was fast asleep. The others were too tired from training. She got up and put her red cloak on. As she walked outside in the clear night, something in the distance caught her eye. She slowly advanced to see Chun-Li, who was staring at the moonlight, saying something to herself. Cammy advanced close enough listen to her. "I will not fail you father. I will avenge your death. Bison will not succeed; I will beat him with my own hands."  
  
So, was her father killed by Bison? Cammy thought to herself. "Mind if I join you?" Cammy was hesitant to ask.  
  
Chun-Li didn't even turn around. "I'm not going to stop you." Cammy didn't show that she heard Chun-Li talk about her past, but Chun-Li could see through it. "So, how much of it did you hear?"  
  
Cammy decided that it was best to be honest. "Only the part about your father."  
  
Chun-Li responded melancholically. "He was a great martial artist. He tried to fight Bison. But he's gone now."  
  
Cammy suddenly remembered the horrifying dream, and what fate had done to her. "It looks like we have something in common." Chun-Li sighed, as if she knew what was coming next. "Both my parents were killed by Vega. I was forced into Shadaloo. Shadaloo has destroyed both of our lives."  
  
"All the more reason we cannot fail tomorrow. We have to defeat Bison. We have to win." 


	4. Part 4: Underlings

Well, here is the next chapter. I personally think it's crappy, but I waited too long to finish it. For those who read the previous chapter before I updated it, I have discovered the names of the characters whom I named Pidge and Maxus. Pidge's name is George Giznu, and the character I named Maxus is Matthew McCoy, but they still have no stories (nor do any of the Delta Red members).  
  
Beautiful Stranger (part 4)  
  
Electricity ran through the figures body as it hit the ground. The wholes in its chest made the floor visible. Vega took off his mask and shook his head at the weak opponent. "Robots hardly make up for real humans."  
  
Bison floated down into the cage. "But Blade was my best robot, and he couldn't even touch you."  
  
Vega continued. "The robot was predictable and had too few of moves. Not your scientists best effort." Vega then walked off, pressing a small button in his hand to raise the cage. He was now the third in command in Shadaloo, behind only Bison and the ugly Sagat. This enraged Vega, who couldn't see the beast Sagat as Bison's second in command. This was the response Bison wanted. He wanted Vega to prove himself to Bison.  
  
Bison walked beside Vega. "I assume the preparations are complete?"  
  
Vega continued to walk. "Yes, the girl has betrayed the plan perfectly. They have no idea that we know they are coming."  
  
Bison laughed. "The poor wench doesn't even know that the beacon is inside of her. She betrays every piece of information she receives."  
  
Vega continued. "Yes, even in betrayal Cammy is useful."  
  
Bison smirked. "She isn't the only one who is useful after betrayal."  
  
Sagat, who came to report to Bison, stopped Vega. "The prisoner is secured, and we are fully prepared for our defense tomorrow."  
  
Bison nodded. "Very good Sagat. Inform Balrog that training has ceased for the day. Tomorrow we crush the infidels who stand in our way."  
  
Vega smirked. "The ugly shall die. I will kill them with my own hands."  
  
Sagat continued. "As long as I get my revenge on Ryu."  
  
The trio stood, ready for what Interpol was about to bring. They were ready for their futures to be sealed.  
  
Commence the attack  
  
The helicopters landed on a smooth patch of grass about one hundred miles from Shadaloo. That was as far as they could get. The boats that were left there the previous week awaited them. Cammy got on a boat with the rest of Delta Red, except for Ginzu, who rode in the lead boat with Guile and Chun-Li to help take out the computers. It was an uneventful boat ride and no one talked. Every one was anxious about the attack, but the trip by boat was very fast, for the first gunshots were heard about forty-five minutes later. These shots flew past the boats and struck the water beside them. A voice sounded over the radio. "Looks like they knew we were coming. Keep your guard up." It was Chun-Li's voice. Wolfman readied his gun and Lawanda unsheathed her sword. They still had around fifteen minutes of travel left, but they already knew of the fight that was about to commence. Cammy was pacing nervously back and forth, at times looking at the driver with impatience. Suddenly, he began to speed up. The bullets were raining down on them from automated turrets, which lined the river. Ginzu hustled to get a satellite connection with them, but the boats were moving too fast. The hulls of the boats were dented with bullets. In one final measure, Ginzu tapped into the boat itself. The radar dish could be seen moving up top, and the turrets stopped shooting, for lack of a target on their radar. The stealth had worked great and they only had to worry about the manpower of the base for the moment.  
  
"Get ready, we are about to hit ground." The driver yelled and they got ready. The boat was one of the last to hit the shores and it flew for several feet in the air until it hit the ground. Gunfire was everywhere around them and shots from their own soldiers could be heard. Colonel Wolfman opened the hatch and bullets shot off the metal cover. He fired back at the soldiers at the stronghold entrance. Lawanda and Cammy cautiously but quickly left the boat; Cammy fired back as Lawanda waited for the wave that would get close. Maxus accompanied Wolfman in firing at the soldiers. A door opened and a large wave of soldiers advanced on the group. Cammy couldn't see the others, but saw the door begin to shut. As Lawanda slashed a soldier, Cammy rushed toward the door. She spun and made it under the door just before it close. There were several soldiers under the gate, breathing heavily. Chun-Li, Guile, Ryu, Ken, and Edmund Honda were among them. Her Delta Red Comrades were still outside.  
  
The Gates of Trial  
  
Guile motioned for them to move forward and they slowly made their way down the long hallway. Guile and Honda were leading the group. The group moved cautiously. There were two foot soldiers just directly behind Guile and Honda, but the rest of the group lagged behind them. They stopped when a metal wall cut off their path. They were sealed in the hallway. "Is this a trap?" Honda asked looking around. Guile shoved the wall and found that it moved easily. Honda and the two soldiers joined him. They pushed it just far enough for a laser to shoot up behind them. That triggered five more lasers, all parallel to the first. The four men were trapped on one side. The wall slid away into the ground and what appeared to be an arena stood before them. The soldiers ran to the middle, but no one, save a large hologram wall, was there. Guile and Honda slowly walked to the middle. The group behind them was careful not to touch the lasers. Cammy and Chun-Li were huddled with the rest of the soldiers, a group of about five. Ryu and Ken stood back to back, prepared for the worst. Bison looked down on them secretly, laughing at them. He pressed a button and two more holograms appeared in the arena. The middle one contained Bison's face, but it wasn't moving.  
  
Guile had to restrain from launching a sonic boom at it. "Where's Charlie?" He demanded to know. Bison laughed at this request. He pressed another button and a similar metal wall shot between the groups behind the laser. Ryu and Ken tried to push this one, but it wouldn't move. Cammy and Chun-Li were trapped against the laser. The floor beneath them started to move, then disappeared completely. Cammy, Chun-Li, and the soldiers all fell toward what lay below. They landed in a similar arena, but this one was covered by a cage.  
  
A demonic laughing could be heard in the back, causing Cammy to shudder. "Vega" She said to herself, shying away from the cage that separated them from the arena.  
  
Ryu and Ken had dealt with a similar situation, but their floor started to rise. They ended up in an even larger arena. But this one had no special marks save the holograms which appeared on all three floors. They had no soldiers to assist them, but they knew well the foe they were to face.  
  
The Golden Gloves  
  
Guile and Honda saw their foe first. The first trial was about to begin. The two soldiers stepped forward, readying their guns. The figure walked out slowly. His blue trunks and boxing gloves gave him away. "Balrog" Guile said to himself. Balrog smirked as he walked forward. His steps slowly and steadily advanced. One step triggered the firing of the soldier's guns. But Balrog was not to be seen. He slammed his fist into the first soldier chest, breaking his ribs. The second punch hit the other soldier in the neck, killing him instantly. The first soldier was kicked pushed aside and was left writhing on the wall. Balrog stood in the light, facing Guile and Honda. He looked up and smirked. Guile slowly raised his head. A large chain was being lowered, and a figure was wrapped in it. He knew who it was. There was a standoff in the middle of the ring. All the others were watching it on the holograms above their arenas. Bison wanted to prove the dominance of his soldiers, and he wanted everyone to see it. The stalemate was broken with Balrog lunging toward Guile. Guile flipped over him, and Balrog was met with Honda's open palm, which slammed into his jaw. Balrog stepped back. There was now a man on either side of him, waiting for the right moment. Honda flung himself toward Balrog and Guile shot a sonic boom from behind him. Balrog jumped over Honda, which sent the sumo into Guile's attack. Honda fell to the ground and tried to shake it off. But was met with a lunging punch to the back of the head. Knocking him unconscious.  
  
"One down, one to go." Guile took a step back, readying himself against the deadly punches of Balrog. Balrog began to walk toward Guile. Guile dropped to a knee, waiting for a moment.  
  
Balrog lunged at Guile, swinging his arm downwards. "Got ya." Guile said to himself. He threw his leg up in the air, catching Balrog on the chin. Balrog fell back to the ground. He got up with blood draining from his mouth and a sneer across his face. He stood up and clapped his hands together. Guile heard the sound of a gun caulking behind him. That sound was followed by several others.  
  
Several soldiers surrounded Guile. "You lose." Balrog said to his opponent. He pressed a button on his waist, which sent the chain-bound Charlie pummeling to the ground. Balrog loosened the chains and Charlie started to regain consciousness. Balrog grinned and started to walk toward Guile, whom now had his hands tied behind his back. Balrog swung his hardest at Guile, who jolted and almost fell to the ground. He then pointed to Charlie. "Kill him" were the only words that came out of his mouth. A look of despair spread across Guile's face and a three of the soldiers raised their rifles at Charlie, who was now staggering to his feet. The first shot pierced behind Charlie's knee, sending the screaming man down to one knee. The second shot hit his upper shoulder. Charlie grabbed it in pain. The third soldier raised his rifle and hit Charlie just below his waist. Balrog grinned. "Stop playing with him and kill him. Damn it, robots wouldn't have screwed around this much." One more soldier lifted his gun, a smile spread across his face. The bullet ripped straight through Charlie's chest, and the man hit the ground, bullet through his lung.  
  
Guile shook in anger. He stood helplessly as his friend was shot. Bits of energy could be seen from his hands, if any of the soldiers had looked. The moment came. Guile screamed out. "You will not win." The handcuffs that bound him snapped, and slammed his arms together as fast as he could. The soldiers were engulfed in a huge spiral of energy, imitating a sonic boom attack. Their ribs snapped and they all jolted. Guile had surrounded himself with a huge sonic boom attack, constantly spinning and striking. Sweat poured down Guile's face. Charlie was dead; the last shot killed him instantly. Only Balrog stood. "I still have some left for you." Balrog stepped back, his shaking hands rose up. Guile didn't lose a step. His hand slammed into Balrog's face and his foot into his knee. "Fight me, coward." Guile yelled out as he continued to pummel Balrog, who had yet to swing. Balrog tripped over Honda, who was regaining consciousness. Guile would have killed Balrog, but a large hand held back his final punch.  
  
"You beat him. You are better than he is." Honda's voice snapped Guile out of his insanity. He looked down at the huddled mass of Balrog. A swift foot slammed into his stomach, sending the boxer down onto his stomach. Guile bound Balrog's hands with the chain that had bound Charlie. "I'll take him to the boat. We should be able to get by with all the commotion."  
  
Guile glanced toward Charlie's body. "Take him also, I have to deal with Bison personally. And he deserves a proper burial."  
  
Honda put the body on his back and pushed Balrog out of the arena. He managed to transport them both easily, as the attacking crew intelligently moved the fighting to another side of the island to try to prevent further damage to the boats. Honda left the island as soon as possible.  
  
A sneer was on Bison's face. The first trial had been passed. "Balrog was weak. I know that Vega will provide more of a challenge. And he won't need any soldiers to win. This next round will be entertaining." The game continued for Bison. As the others watched Guile win on the holograms, they did not know who would be the next to fight.  
  
The Reunion  
  
They all saw the fight which that just finished on the big holograms on the walls of the arena. Chun-Li watched with mixed reactions. Charlie was dead, but Guile won. She wondered why Bison was making them fight one by one. Her and Cammy were in the back of a narrow hallway. There were six soldiers in front of them. They could all see the projection and knew the fight was over. The cage that separated them from the arena opened. The soldiers pushed their way through, but Cammy and Chun-Li couldn't make it into the arena. The cage door shut right in front of them. Bison isolated them and the soldiers. Cammy and Chun-Li pressed up against the fence. They couldn't break through, and they heard a sinister laugh in the arena. Blazes of gunfire shot broke the stale air inside the complex. Of course, none hit the target. Vega touched ground behind the soldier who was farthest back. He had not lost any of his speed. He slashed deep into the soldier's back, spinning the soldier. His blood drained onto the floor. The other soldiers turned and began firing on the spot where the first soldier fell. Vega landed gracefully on his hands just behind the lead soldiers. His claw pierced the soldier in the neck. The others saw too late and began firing, filling up the soldier with bullets. Vega's feet planted firmly on the fallen soldier's shoulders. He sprung toward another shaking soldier. A slash spun him to the ground, blood draining from his wound. Vega rolled and landed on his knee, stabbing another guy through the rib cage. He stood to his feet and looked at the final soldier. The soldier pulled the trigger on his gun. Nothing shot out. Vega slowly walked forward, chuckling as the soldier ran back. A few moments later, he lunged forward. The soldier lay dead on the ground, a huge slash mark extending from his stomach to his neck. Vega took off his mask and licked the blood off of his claw. The chain door opened slowly, but Cammy and Chun-Li hesitated to step in the arena with all the dead.  
  
"Bloody hell." Cammy said at the sight in front of her. The soldier's bodies littered the arena. Vega finished cleaning the blood off of his claw with his tongue. His bare face turned to the two girls. Chun- Li was outraged at the loss of her men. Cammy was a bit nervous being in the same room as Vega.  
  
Vega chuckled and ran his tongue across his teeth. "Hello Cammy, it's been a while." His Spanish accent was thick in his voice.  
  
Chun-Li turned to Cammy, then to Vega, then back to Cammy. "You two know each other?"  
  
Cammy responded with a frown on her face. "We hate each other. It was Vega who brought me to Shadaloo. It was Vega who killed my parents."  
  
Vega interrupted her, the smile still on his face. "And it was Vega who rescued you from the Shadaloo wreckage two years ago. It was Vega who saved your life. It was Vega who helped you for that year."  
  
Cammy responded furiously. "And it was Vega that made it necessary for me to be saved. It was Vega that got my memory erased. It was Vega that ruined my life."  
  
Vega chuckled. "Call it what you will." He looked down at the ground. "Just remember that these soldiers lost their lives, so I could have you. Balrog was weak. Wouldn't even fight his battles. I will take pleasure in this fight. I have been looking forward to it for a year now."  
  
Cammy couldn't respond. He had been waiting for her. He had chosen her. Had the others been chosen also? And what about Chun-Li? Did Vega also choose her? She stared at his face. The same face that had helped her in Barcelona two years ago. Just a short while ago she depended on that face. Then she recovered the dark truth about him. She could not see him now the way she did before. Her Vega was dead, only this monstrous murderer remained. She stepped back into her Special Forces fighting stance. She would not talk any more. Vega straightened up and donned his mask.  
  
This is my last chance to protect you. If you defeat me, you will face worse pain then you ever felt before. Vega thought to himself. He didn't want to fight Cammy, but it was the only way he could keep her from the truth that Bison held. He had only one option.  
  
The Deadly Rose  
  
Vega lunged at the girls. They jumped to the side on either side of him. Vega stood there, waiting for a response. Chun-Li lunged at Vega, moving her foot very rapidly up and down. Cammy spun down at Vega's feet. Vega flipped over Cammy. Chun-Li launched a fireball at Vega, who jumped up to dodge it. Vega slid on the ground at Cammy, who dodged it. Vega quickly got to his feet and swung his foot around, knocking Chun-Li in the skull. His foot landed on the wall and he propelled himself at Cammy, his claw aimed at her face. But Cammy felt the blow of Vega's fist instead. Vega had switched hands just before he hit her. His feet hit the ground, but immediately lifted to the air. His feet landed easily on the side of the cage and he stared at Cammy, who was getting back to her feet. She stared up just in time to see Vega in front of her. He spun around her and clasped her around her waist. The first suplex came seconds later. Cammy felt three before she was in a daze. Vega stood up over the downed doll. Chun-Li was standing with a trickle of blood trailing down her face. Vega lunged at her and easily dodged the punch she intended for him. His punch landed another blow to her skull and she fell to the ground. Cammy was already stumbling to her feet. Vega looked to the top of the cage. He leapt with exceptional agility to the cage. He looked down at Chun-Li, and readied to jump. Cammy remembered what happened to the last person she saw Vega do this to. The vision of blood and death raced through her mind. Vega leapt from the wall. Falling down toward the dazed woman. He did not expect Cammy to be to her feet. Cammy ran to Chun-Li, but knew she wouldn't make it in time. Cammy was in a blind rage. She didn't even hear the words "Spin Drive Smasher" come out of her mouth. She caught Vega in mid-air and his back slammed against the cage after the first strike. She pummeled his relentlessly. On one strike, his claw shattered on the cage wall, and on another, his mask fell. Cammy landed on the ground after the attack and Vega fell to his knees. Chun-Li was slowly getting up.  
  
"I knew this would be a good fight." Vega said with a trickle of blood draining down his mouth. "I should have known I couldn't protect you from the truth for any longer. You must find it for yourself."  
  
Cammy turned to the fallen matador. "What do you mean "the truth?"  
  
Vega chuckled. "Kill Bison and you will learn."  
  
Cammy grew bright red. "Answer me, what is it that I don't know?"  
  
Vega responded in a similar way. "I joined to try to help you; I cannot do it any longer. We knew of your arrival due to a recorder transmitted within you, but I advised Bison against the use of robots. That may have helped save your life. It was Bison who sent me to you. I was only here to train the dolls. But you were different; you could survive without Bison, like none of the others could. You are special."  
  
She continued the interrogation. "What do you mean? Survive without Bison? What does all this mean? Answer me Vega."  
  
Vega coughed and another trickle of blood followed. "I can tell you no more. You must get the rest from Bison. Go, go and kill him. I am lost."  
  
Cammy knelt down and shook him, trying to get an answer. Tears flowed down her cheek. His breathing slowed and his eyes stared straight ahead.  
  
Chun-Li hypothesized. "The attack must have blown a lung. He cannot survive."  
  
Vega coughed, then spoke. "Farewell, my beautiful soldier."  
  
With that he leaned his head back and lowered his breathing. Cammy got up and wiped the tears from her face. She could kill a hundred faceless soldiers, but she didn't want to hurt one. She turned to Chun-Li. "Let's go kill Bison." Chun-Li nodded and they left the arena. The cage slammed behind them, and the elevator was already lowered. The shimmied down to the main floor, where Guile was still waiting in the arena. The door was dented from his repeated blows, but he could not open it. Another hologram disappeared from the wall. Only Ryu and Ken could be seen.  
  
Bison was irate at the defeat of Vega. There were three soldiers ready to challenge him. If Sagat lost, there would be two more. But Bison knew he could defeat them all. He let Ryu and Ken into the arena, and awaited their trial.  
  
Past Demon  
  
Ryu and Ken could see every fight till then. They glanced at each other and Ryu pulled his gloves. They were in a narrow hallway just like Cammy and Chun-Li were. It was sealed off at one end, leading them to a large cage where a wall separated them and what they assumed was the arena. The wall opened slowly, leading them into a plain looking arena. There was no cage like there had been in the last one. They hit fists and walked in. The door slammed behind them and an eerily familiar laughter filled the cage.  
  
"It's him." Ken said as he stepped forward.  
  
"Sagat" Ryu continued as they reached the middle of the arena.  
  
There was no jumping around the arena like Vega had done. Sagat came in very plainly, just the same as he was when he was first seen, but now with the scar he possessed on his chest because of Ryu. "So, we meet again." Sagat said with a sneer across his face. "Now I get my revenge."  
  
Sagat didn't wait for a response. He immediately launched a Tiger blast at Ryu, who sidestepped it. Sagat thrust his knee up towards Ryu, completely ignoring Ken. Ken lunged at Sagat, who turn and struck Ken in the chest. Ken flew back into the wall of the arena. Sagat was much stronger now than he had been. He swung his fist up at Ryu, who jumped back to avoid it. Sagat launched a Tiger blast at the same time Ryu launched a fireball. Both attacks dissipated in air. Sagat charged at Ryu and managed to land a punch on his chin. Ryu fell to the ground, but a fiery blaze struck Sagat from behind. Ken stood there, breathing heavily after the attack. Sagat slowly got up, an enraged look crossed his face. Ken tried to launch a fireball, but Sagat leapt over it. Sagat's swift punches were too much for Ken as he soon hit the ground. Blood dripped from his mouth and Sagat readied a Tiger Blast to finish him off. Ryu's yell stopped him. "Sagat!" he yelled with fury which was not normal for him. Sagat smiled at the fact that he could finally get his revenge on Ryu. But the smile dissipated when he turned.  
  
Ryu's eyes were blood red and a strange aura resonated from his body. The ground cracked with each step Ryu took forward. Sagat fired a Tiger shot at him, but it passed through Ryu as he slid forward. Ken's eyes slowly opened to see what his friend had become. A saddened expression spread across his face. He had seen this look before in Ryu's eyes, when Ryu fought the demon, Akuma. This was not the foe Sagat longed to challenge. Sagat desperately launched a Tiger blast at Ryu, who stepped back and screamed as he came in. Sagat only felt one blow. A hard shot to the neck sent him to his knees. Ryu shook violently as he watch, but he knew Sagat would not get up. He turned his back and began to walk off, but the battered Ken stood first.  
  
He's out of control, I cannot let him get any further. Ken thought and he pushed his hands together. The fireball was the best Ken thought he could do, but it did nothing more the dissipate on the back of Ryu. Ryu turned his head slowly, his read eyes gleaming as he glared at Ken.  
  
"You want to test my strength Ken?" Ryu stepped toward Ken. Ryu jumped toward Ken, and Ken readied to attack.  
  
Into the depths of the demon  
  
There were three who watched this scene, a look of horror spread across their faces. But they could not see the battle, for the hologram went out, and slowly the door opened. A sinister laughter filled the air, and Cammy, Guile, Chun-Li gazed into the abyss.  
  
  
  
I have Charlie dying in this time period, although Capcom announced that Charlie did infact die in Street Fighter Alpha 3. 


	5. Part 5: Careful what you Wish for

I wrote this section pretty quickly. I was rather spurred on from your comments on the last chapter (especially Pyralis's).  
  
Confrontation  
  
There seemed to be a cold draft in the room, but there was no way for a wind to get into the room. The light shone behind the three people standing in the doorway, but other than that the room was pitch black. The door slammed behind them, surrounding them in complete darkness. But the room soon illuminated with a bright blue light. Bison was shaking in rage.  
  
Bison appeared thinned than he was before, but there was an aura of power that surrounded him. "They're all defeated. The weak fools. Defeated by the likes of you. Balrog was slow to think, and Vega didn't even fight with his usual speed. Then Sagat, that monster is unbeatable, surely he will kill the other in that room also." Bison turned to face the three. A look of rage was on his face, but that soon disappeared into a course grin. "But they were weak anyways; you were fools for coming this far. Especially when we knew you were coming. Bison turned his head to Cammy, who stared shockingly at him. Bison didn't even notice Guile, who was showing more anger now than he did any time before.  
  
Without warning he charged at Bison. Chun-Li and Cammy stayed back, not knowing what Guile would do. Guile planted his fist in Bison's jaw. Bison stumbled back but maintained his balance. He chuckled. "All that for one dead human. If I had known you would act this way, I would have killed more." Charlie dominated Guile's thoughts. Charlie endured such a disgraceful death.  
  
"I'll kill you Bison. I'll kill you myself." Guile stated through clenched teeth. Chun-Li held Cammy back. Somehow, this had to be a one on one fight. Guile lunged at Bison, but Bison simply hopped back to avoid the punch. Guile's arms smashed together and a Sonic Boom wave shot at Bison, who simply sidestepped the shot. Guile ran toward Bison, but Bison leapt high into the air. Bison's feet slammed on Guile's head. He then flipped back and drove his palms into his chest. Bison then slammed his fist against Guile's face. Guile stumbled back and spread his feet apart. He began to grunt and shake, but he soon uttered the dreaded words.  
  
"Psycho Crusher." Bison lunged at Guile, who did all he could to block the attack. Guile screamed as his arms dropped to his side. He couldn't move them; the attack had been too much. Bison began to slowly walk toward Guile, a sinister look on his face and a demonic gleam in his eyes. He stumbled forward when the shot hit him in the back. Chun-Li stood there with her hands together. Bison turned and raised his arm to launch an energy ball at her. Bison fell to the ground when Cammy's feet slammed into his back. Bison slid a little before he stopped. He slowly began to get up to his feet and raised his head to see Cammy standing in front of him. Her foot slammed across his face, sending him to the wall. He held her hand to stop Chun-Li and Guile from moving.  
  
Bison began to recover but was met with Cammy's stern glare. She had some questions for him to answer. "Tell me about my past, Bison."  
  
Bison held a shocked look on his face. "How could you forget about me, Cammy? Don't you remember, I...?"  
  
Cammy interrupted him. "All I remember is that you set me up and tried to kill me. How could you do this too me?" She fingered the scar on her face. He caused that also.  
  
Bison exclaimed in a fit of rage. "I had feelings for you! I did not try to kill you! You had an unfortunate accident and lost your memory! Don't you remember? We were in love!"  
  
Cammy stepped back, dazed and confused. "No! This can't be possible. I couldn't fall in love with a man like you!"  
  
The battle had stopped outside. All of Shadaloo's soldiers remained dead or captured. But Cammy didn't notice her team walk into the room. They stood behind her throughout the whole conversation.  
  
Wolfman's voice broke Cammy's gaze. "Our mission has been completed. Let's go home." Technically the mission was over. They provided backup to the assault group on Bison's compound, and Bison wasn't going anywhere.  
  
Cammy turned and seemed a bit surprised to see them. "Wait! What if what he says is true; I'm not the person I was!"  
  
Luwanda's cynicism broke the depressive mood. "Don't believe that slime ball, Cammy!! No one could ever love a loser like him."  
  
Cammy chuckled. "You're right! Now Bison can be scarred with the nightmare of defeat. Let's go home guys."  
  
As they left the building, Guile, Bison, and Chun-Li all had dazed looks on their faces. Bison tried to get up, but this time it was Guile in front of him. Bison would not leave the compound alive.  
  
Endgame  
  
Cammy wanted to have nothing to do with any of the other street fighters, or of Shadaloo, after that day. She enjoyed her life in England with Delta Red. Sure, the training was tough, but she had a place where she could belong. It was a long helicopter ride home and George Giznu could not help but to look up things on his laptop. He searched for information about the separate members of Shadaloo. His voice broke the silence of the cabin. "Hey Cammy, what was the name of that guy you fought before Bison?"  
  
Cammy turned to him. "How did you know about that?"  
  
He responded quickly. "Hannah kept us informed on how you were doing. She said you fought a guy with a claw."  
  
Cammy closed her eyes and repeated the name. "His name was Vega, Vega Fabio de Cerna."  
  
He didn't type at all on the computer screen. He instead responded with an inquisitive attitude. "Well then, looks like we have the right guy."  
  
Cammy looked and him inquisitively. "What are you talking about, Pidge?"  
  
Giznu didn't like being called "Pidge". It made him feel inferior to the others, even though he could survive a full onslaught from McCoy. But this time he shrugged the comment off. This was far more interesting. "It appears that this guy is a Spanish noble and bullfighter. His parents were murdered and he was the prime suspect."  
  
Cammy sat up. "He told me that his parents died of sickness." Cammy soon bit her lip.  
  
This drew the attention of everyone in the cabin. Wolfman asked the question on everyone's mind. "When would he have told you this?"  
  
Cammy proceeded hesitantly. "In Shadaloo I got to know him quite well. He told me it then." She didn't want to tell them the truth of the time after Shadaloo, and this lie appeared to appease them quite well.  
  
Pidge finished off reading what he discovered. "Apparently he lied to you. His parents were killed, but the murderers were never found. He was suspected, even though he was only fifteen. But there was not enough evidence to convict him of anything."  
  
Cammy didn't question his sources. She knew that he could get whatever information he wanted. Why he went on missions instead of backing up Hannah at the base was beyond her.  
  
They arrived in England several hours after the conversation. Instead of following the others for debriefing, Cammy decided to get some well needed rest. Wolfman walked up to her door before he went with the others. He didn't know why he wanted to make sure she was fine, but he sensed that she wasn't telling them something. He opened the door, but saw that she was sleeping. He smiled.  
  
Confessions  
  
He stood in her room, staring at Cammy's sleeping body. His body ached from all the action, but other than that it was okay. There were many others who did not survive. He knew she wanted to have nothing to do with Shadaloo again, but in his mind, he knew that it was not over. Not by a long shot.  
  
He listened to her gentle breathing. She sure has gone through hell. He thought to himself. The sound of her breath relaxed him.  
  
He looked at her face in the moonlight. Her innocence was gone, although it wasn't when he first saw her. She was still beautiful though. Her hair was no longer in pigtails. She let it down to sleep, so he felt sort of privileged to see it when it wasn't.  
  
She looked like she was at peace when she slept. He had seen her when she was angry. She hated everything when she was.  
  
He felt the object in his hand. The long green stem was without a thorn. He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. She stirred, but did not wake. He placed the rose and her chest and straightened up. This isn't over. Unfortunately, she will have more hell to go through. He thought to himself.  
  
He walked to the window. The moon shone with undefiled brilliance. It was a full moon, lighting an otherwise dark sky. He took one more look at her just before he left the same way he came in. He whispered softly to her while she slept. "Farewell, my beautiful soldier." 


	6. Part 6: Shattered Peace

Beautiful Stranger  
  
(Part 5)  
  
Their arms clashed as they collided. Blow for blow was traded in the fight. Cammy was faster than he was, but Matthew McCoy, the largest member of Delta Red, had power unachievable to normal human beings. It was her turn for the training session with him, which usually turned out to be the hardest training session of them all. Cammy swung at his face, but Matthew caught her hand and began to crush it. She screamed in pain and he began to bring her to one knee. She saw the opening. It was a cheap one, but anything went in these sessions. Her powerful knee slammed into him, bringing the giant to his knees. He grabbed his groin in pain as Cammy examined her hand.  
  
"That was low Cammy, very low." Matthew exclaimed in the suppressed voice.  
  
Cammy chuckled back. "All's fair in love and war." She swung her foot around and connecter to his head, sending him to the ground. She began to walk away while he was slowly getting to his feet.  
  
"It's not over yet, Cammy." Matthew exclaimed as he got to his feet. He sure was a durable guy.  
  
"That's enough for today, we have important business to take care off." Wolfman's explanation destroyed the mood of the fight. He brushed his fingers through his orange hair as Cammy and a stumbling Matthew followed him. Luwanda and George could be heard snickering and Matthew walked by. They walked into the office of Delta Red headquarters and sat down in the four chairs in front of Wolfman's desk. Wolfman took his usual seat on the desk, but this time Hanna was not there. Wolfman's chair turned to reveal short man who they recognized at the leader of the English Secret Service.  
  
"Greetings, I suspect you had a vigorous morning workout." The man said as he stood up. "Today I speak with you on an important matter. Two years ago, you infiltrated the base at Shadaloo and supported a force to eliminate Bison. Although I wouldn't doubt if your abilities were actually superior to theirs, your mission was successful, to an extent anyways."  
  
Cammy interrupted. "To an extent, sir?"  
  
The man responded. "As you know, one Shadaloo officer was captured, his name was Balrog. The two other officers, Sagat and Vega were killed. Then Bison was killed after you left the mission site."  
  
This time it was Wolfman who broke in. "We know of the mission reports."  
  
The Agent continued. "You think you know of the reports. That's were I am getting at. We have reason to believe that their is one key member of Shadaloo still around."  
  
Cammy leaned forward, listening intently. "Is it Bison?"  
  
The man answered. "Fortunately, no. His body was positively ID'ed and dealt with."  
  
Cammy reasoned. "Then it must be Sagat. I killed Vega myself."  
  
The man lowered his head. "Sagat's body was also identified. Tell me Ms. White, did you actually see Vega die?"  
  
Cammy tried to recall the moment. "I pierced his lungs with an attack, and then we left him to die. He was dying when we left."  
  
The man rose his voice. "Answer the question, did you see him die?"  
  
"No, I didn't actually see him die." She lowered her head. She wanted nothing to do with Shadaloo anymore, but she knew that she would have to.  
  
"Very well then." The man responded. "This mission is of the highest priority, for that reason, Lieutenant Hanna will not be supporting you from base. We must have as few of people know of this mission as possible. If they knew we were chasing after a guy who might not even be alive, Delta Red could be disbanded. They looked at each other, partially wondering their fate. There is a man hired by the Spanish government who will provide you with the information and backup for the mission. His name is Xavier Salvador."  
  
Cammy spoke up before the man left. "If I may ask one more question, why were we selected for the mission and not the Interpol agents who were present?"  
  
The man stood at the door as he answered the questions. "Only two of the members were actually working with the mission under the affiliation. Chun-Li has since quit her job and Colonel Guile retired from active duty. Both of their whereabouts are unknown at this time. Besides, I have heard that you would know of this individual than any of the others."  
  
Cammy knew he had a point. She was once a Shadaloo member. The man walked out the door and another, larger man walked in. He wasn't as big as McCoy; he was more comparable to Wolfman in height and weight. His face was unscarred and his eyes were a dark brown. His hair was black and his skin was lightly tanned. He spoke with a deep Spanish accent. "I am sure you all have been briefed on the situation at hand. Let's get something straight." Xavier put stood behind the desk and put his palms on the table. "This is not a wild goose chase because we cannot find a body. We have had a few civilian sites of Vega Fabio de Cerna, as well as some sites from our own agents. All these sites match the descriptions perfectly and the particular individual never stayed around long enough to be questioned." Xavier began pacing and seemed to ramble on. "This leads us to believe that the individual seen is actually Vega. We believe that he would not dare return to Spain, for he may think highly of himself, he is not stupid. After the incident in Thailand, there were numerous sightings in that general area. The most recent being in Japan, which seems to be a tad strange since that seems to be the last known whereabouts of many of the task force on Shadaloo. But that aside, he was believed to be seen in the mountainous region of Japan as late as two weeks ago. We will begin our search from a small village about 20 miles away from his last seen location. We will have to travel inconspicuously for obvious reasons." At this he stopped talking. His piercing gaze shot across the room. He could tell no one had any questions. "We leave at 0900 hours tomorrow."  
  
Xavier got up and walked out of the room, leaving the members of Delta Red staring at each other in silence. Luwanda broke the silence. "So this guy you fought is the same guy you hated in Shadaloo and the same guy who tried to kill you?"  
  
Cammy responded. "Yes."  
  
Luwanda looked down, then back up. "Oh, then why are you smiling?"  
  
They all looked at Cammy, who had her head bowed. But a smile could still be seen. "I guess that it's been so long since I had a rival." The others stared, but no one spoke for the rest of the day.  
  
The Search Begins  
  
Cammy hardly knew him, but she already knew that she didn't like Xavier. Something about him didn't seem right. George agreed with her, but the others didn't seem to notice.  
  
The sun had risen slightly over the buildings as they stepped onto the plane that would take them most of the way to Japan. It was quite a long plane trip to the airport in Japan. The time was filled with mission briefings followed by an old black and white movie. When the plane landed a little over nineteen hours later in Osaka, they were all worn out. They found a hotel to rest in until the helicopter left the next day. Still jet- lagged from the day before they boarded a helicopter, which would take them to a smaller village from Osaka. Compared to the plane trip the day before, this helicopter ride seemed short. They landed near a village with trees and bushes scattered about.  
  
The man spoke in Japanese as he put a coin on a table. The merchant, an elderly woman, spoke a few words back to him. He responded a few words and was just about to extract another coin when the helicopter was heard overhead. The quiet village was unaccustomed to the noise that came from above. The children pointed and stared but the man began to breathe deeply. When the helicopter started to descend, he ran to some bushes, which were near the landing point. Hiding behind them, he gazed at the helicopter. It appears Interpol has found me. I'll have to move on soon. The man thought to himself. But as the door opened, a look of dread spread across his face. He saw the familiar uniform on a few of the soldiers, but he had not yet seen her. Maybe they're of the same faction. But he is with them; I need to watch my back. He was calm until he saw her step off the helicopter. Oh my god. She's here. My god why is she here. I could deal with anyone else. Vega slowly stepped back as Cammy stepped from the stuffy helicopter. He ran through the village into the nearby mountains. The group was right behind him, although they did not know it yet.  
  
On the trail  
  
"We are looking for a light man." Xavier tried to explain again. The lady obviously didn't understand him. Xavier ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He reached for a picture and showed her the photo of their target. The lady squinted behind her glasses and smiled. She spoke a few words in Japanese, which frustrated Xavier more. She pointed out to the mountains. Xavier smiled at the gesture and went to the group.  
  
"I think she said that he want that way." He pointed to the mountains.  
  
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Luwanda chimed in. A stern look from Xavier had no affect on her. "It's apparent that you don't speak any Japanese. I would have expected the Spanish government to send someone who could, or at least a translator. The important thing is not where he went, for he could have easily looped around the town. The important thing is when he went. We have to find proof that he left recently. This isn't exactly the most active town on the map; they might remember him for who knows how long."  
  
It was George who found out the information. No one knew that he was fluent in Japanese, but they all seemed glad that he was. "She said that he was there today. He left that way." George pointed to the mountains, which were being scorched by the hot day's sun. There was silence as they moved through the terrain. They did their best to track him. A wind blew away most of the footprints in the dust, so they had to rely on the more subtle means to track him. They were moving much slower than he was.  
  
Blast from the Past  
  
In fact, Vega ran for a good mile when he saw Cammy step out of the helicopter. He stopped when the village was out of site and he was out of breath. He shook his hair back from in front of his face. He was on a little plateau looking out over a canyon. There was a crooked tree to the side of him. He put his arm in it and gazed out over the canyon. He closed his eyes, taking in the scenery. He did not know how fast they were traveling, so he decided it would be best to keep his rest short. He was not ready to face them yet. He continued on walking, trying to maintain his energy. There was a stream in the valley below, which drained into a lake. He could see the dots of green from the alligators that seemed to inhabit the lake. He did not know how they got there, although he guessed that they escaped from a zoo somewhere, even though that seemed ridiculous. This was a large, round mountain in front of him. There was a thin path that appeared to have been warn up the mountain from previous travel. The village was on the other side of the river, and he did not remember crossing it. There was a rope bridge that connected the two cliffs. He began to walk up the path to the top of the mountain.  
  
It was a rather long walk. The path circled the mountain several times, but the cliffs were too steep to climb up. It took him a good hour to make it to the top. When he reached it, he leaned onto a gnarled tree, which was at the top of the hill. There was a large building that was visible behind some trees. Vega took it to be a monastery. Vega sighed and felt at peace. A foot hitting the ground from behind him widened his eyes.  
  
"You? I remember you." The stranger said from behind him.  
  
Vega slowly turned around, saw the man, and replied. "Oh, you're the one who killed Sagat."  
  
Ryu lowered his head. "And you almost killed Chun-Li. I thought the other girl killed you."  
  
Vega retorted. "Things are not always what they appear to be." He reached down to his side. Ryu glanced at the movement and stepped to a fighting stance. Vega took one step forward and leapt into the strong sunlight. Ryu had to squint to see his figure. He landed heavily behind Ryu. His claw was donned, and his mask looked as if it hadn't been touched in years. "Let's make this quick, I have something important I need to do."  
  
He turned around. Ryu did the same, just after him. They stood there, feeling each other out. No one wanted to make the first move. An uneasy serenity filled the air. Vega's mind was on the progress of Cammy.  
  
Slow in Coming  
  
Vega didn't have much to worry about. A wind covered his tracks as he moved, and morale among Delta Red was waning. The eerie silence that encompassed them as they traveled was broken by Wolfman's cries of dissatisfaction.  
  
"This is pointless." Wolfman yelled. The rest of the group looked at him. Wolfman kicked dirt off the ground. "Shit, we're supposed to be terrorist specialists, not detectives. My god we're on a fucking wild goose chase through some mountains in Japan following a guy that may not even be here. And what the hell is he doing." Wolfman pointed at Xavier. "We are going so slow that a turtle could escape us. Creeping along does no good if we don't have a trail. We might as hell run in and at least hope he's here. Our expertise is with neutralization, not tracking."  
  
The other had to agree with him. They weren't going anywhere, and Cammy knew that Vega was already faster than they were. Xavier broke the uneasy silence. "I guess your right. We are moving too slow, and there is no real trail. We should make haste. Besides, there is one of him, and six of us."  
  
They moved much faster after words. But they were still well away from Vega.  
  
Burden of the Past  
  
This was a fight Vega had not expected. These two had nothing similar among them, so they were naturally cautious when fighting. The first time they clashed was in mid-air. They both fell to the ground relatively unharmed. They turned to face each other again. Ryu hurled a fireball at Vega, who waited and flipped over it. He swung his claw at Ryu, he easily dodged it. Vega's foot hit Ryu in the chest when he dodged the claw. Ryu stumbled back and lunged at Vega. Vega blocked high, but was hit with a rising dragon punch in his stomach. Vega flipped back and swung his foot into Ryu's jaw. Ryu stumbled back a few steps, but then stood straight up.  
  
He rubbed his cheek where the foot struck. There wasn't a mark on it. "You almost killed Chun-Li, yet you won't even fight me with your true power?"  
  
Vega sensed that the fight was over and stood up straight. "Why should I fight you? I have no reason."  
  
Ryu answered in the same monotonous tone he spoke with. "Yet you had a reason to fight Chun-Li and Cammy? You had a reason to kill innocent people. Yet you still question fighting when a true warrior confronts you."  
  
Vega replied. "I had a reason to fight then. I was protecting the one I cared about." Vega paused here. He was surprised that he actually said that last part. A scowl spread across his face. "You speak of reasons. What do you have? If you'll engage in a senseless battle with someone who cares not about the fight. How can you question my reasons when all you care about is the fight?"  
  
Ryu's voice raised. "But I still don't kill innocent people."  
  
Vega retorted. "And who are you to deem whom is innocent? You wouldn't fight Sagat without using, that thing. Is that what you do to those you deem worthy to kill?"  
  
Ryu argued back. "Sagat was about to kill Ken. You would do the exact same thing if your friend was in danger."  
  
Vega responded. "And yet you still faced your friend afterwards. What reason can you offer for that? I had a reason to fight, but you don't. And now I have a reason to stop, while you never had a reason to start. I don't care who's right and who's not, I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to hurt anymore. It is because of senseless violence that I lost a person I truly cared about. That was when I didn't have a reason to fight. When you killed Sagat, I fought to protect her."  
  
Ryu lowered his head. He knew Vega was right. He turned his back and began to walk away. Vega shook his head toward the ground. Ryu stopped walking and turned. "I don't know what came over me when I fought Sagat. Fortunately, Ken was able to knock me out of it. I may not have as elaborate of a reason as you do, but I never killed senselessly. I fight to find purpose in my life. It's the only way I know how. I never had it easy like you once did; I have been working the whole time. I have fought for survival. I have fought for purpose. My fighting has given me the only friends I have."  
  
Vega lowered his head now. He had no reasons why he fought in the past. "Then you are lucky. For your fighting hasn't lost you anything yet. You have a purpose to fight. I have nothing but lost dreams. And even then I cannot hide from them. My fighting has destroyed me." Vega turned and began to walk away. He detached his claw and took off his mask and said a few final words. "Never let that dark power rise again, or the fighting may ruin you too."  
  
Ryu was about to walk off, but one question burned on Vega's mind. "Ryu, how did those alligators come to be down in the lake? I was not aware that they were native to Japan."  
  
Ryu smirked and replied with one word. "Americans."  
  
Vega understood and was about to get on his way. That had lightened the mood a little. He looked over the barren valley only to realize how much time he had wasted. They were at the rope bridge, only a short climb away from him. He realized that there was no way down the mountain save the far side, which was steep, but manageable. He decided to duck down and wait to see which way they would go.  
  
Hidden Danger  
  
The bridge was rickety when Wolfman first tested it. He looked at Matthew, wondering if he was too big to cross it. The bridge was pretty long, and tall enough to hold a steep drop to the stream below. Wolfman crossed first with Xavier close behind him. It was strong enough to hold two people just fine. Cammy and Luwanda had little trouble crossing the bridge. Matthew walked slowly across the bridge. It creaked under his feet, but still held. The rope was getting strained and the boards creaked when he finally got across. But George was the only one left, and he was the lightest of them all. He was to provide backup incase Matthew fell. But the bridge was strong enough to support him. He slowly grabbed the rope and began to tread his way across the bridge. Vega could have gotten away at this time, but instead watched the fearful boy. I might feel sorry for him, if he wasn't so damn ugly. Vega thought as he watched him. When the boards began to crack a terrified look came over George's face.  
  
"Run, George, Make it across." Cammy yelled. But the boy stood frozen on the bridge. He saw his own mortality leap from his body. The board beneath him broke and he hurriedly leapt to the board behind him. If he had jumped to the one in front of him he might had made it across. He stumbled as that board broke. He clung on to the rope for dear life. But the lifeline snapped when it couldn't support any more weight. It was already worn from the big man. Cammy screamed as George fell into the gorge. The others looked in horror as the boy made a splash in the river far below.  
  
"Shit" Vega said to himself and he ran to the other side of the mountain. Why he did not know. Why should he care about the ugly little boy who drowned? But somehow he knew that all his remorse would be wasted if he didn't help if he could. The lake was not too far away from the drop point. Vega donned his mask and leapt off the edge of the mountain, just out of Cammy and Wolfman's view as they rounded the mountain. Vega's claw scraped the rock as he dug into it. Dust scattered throughout the air as he guided himself down the steep rock. His foot managed to strike a foothold and he leapt down toward the lake. He cut through the water like a butcher's knife through a tender piece of veal. He saw the boy, battered from clashing with the rocks along the river, descend into the lake. His blood attracted the gators and they made a dash toward him, completely ignoring the cut-less Vega. Vega reached his arm out to try to reach the boy before the green monsters could. As soon as he felt his hand touch George's he flung him toward his body as fast as he could. He felt a hard smack to his back as the tail of a gator who was still going toward the original blood struck him. Another gator was not so easily fooled and he clamped his jaws around Vega's leg. Vega slammed his claw through the head of the gator and winced even as the gator let go. He was no match for them underwater. He could see the surface of the water but it seemed to far away. He swam toward where he thought the shore had been. The gators attacked their bleeding comrade and soon tore the dead gator to pieces. The boy in Vega's arms was unconscious and Vega feared that he was dead. He swam till the rocky drop from the cliff was in front of him. The gators has smelled the fresh blood of a human and were swimming rapidly at Vega. Vega knew he could not surface in time, and that he could not save the boy. He closed his eyes and prepared for the worst.  
  
Confrontation  
  
The bullets ripped through the water forming a sort of shield around Vega and George. A large set of arms reached into the lake toward the dark figure they hoped was their ally. Vega hoisted the boy upward to make sure he would be the first out. Vega was ready to accept his death when the hands dragged him out of the water.  
  
Vega woke up coughing water from his lungs. They were up of a cliff just above the lake, most likely trying to avoid any gators, which survived the attack. Above him were the large man and the girl with the blade. His leg was wrapped and the bleeding had slowed. With all the strength he had he turned his head. The boy was beside him, taking deep breaths, but was no more awake than he was. Vega took a deep breath from the mountain air, which had eluded him throughout the whole ordeal. No one spoke and he wondered whether he had gone deaf or not. But he could hear the birds above and the flowing water below. He slowly lifted his head, but had it thrust back down by the girl with the blade.  
  
"I don't think so; you are staying still for now." Luwanda said with a sneer in her voice.  
  
"He sure is a feisty one." Matthew joked about.  
  
Luwanda chuckled. "Yeah." She directed her tone toward Vega. "And it looks like Cammy has something to say to you."  
  
Vega sighed. He was no longer in control of his fate. 


	7. Part 7: Final End

Beautiful Stranger  
  
(Part 6)  
  
McCoy laughed. "Yeah, you are quite lucky. I thought the shadows were gators. You can imagine how surprised I was when I pulled Pidge out. I figured the other one might have been important, so I pulled you out. Wolfman kept the gators away." McCoy pointed toward a man with black hair. He appeared to be talking to Cammy and Xavier about something. He then walked over and checked up on the boy. He and Cammy were not like the others in the group. Vega wouldn't refer to them as ugly.  
  
Cammy stood over Vega and Xavier was to the side. Matthew and Luwanda backed away and Vega struggled to his feet. His leg was throbbing and he could see the blood on the bandage, yet it did not look appetizing to him. Vega leaned against the face of the rock and Cammy tossed him a long stick to help brace him. Vega waited for a barrage of questions. He could in no way get away from them until he could move freely, which he thought would take at least the night. He had stabbed the gator before too much damage was done. He was ready for most anything Cammy could throw at him, except for what she actually did. Vega's face turned and he grabbed it in complete and udder shock. Cammy returned her hand to his side, knowing Vega would be shocked at the actual striking of his face. "It's been a while, Vega."  
  
Vega turned his head back to her, almost expecting another blow. "Yes it has."  
  
Cammy continued. "I was under the impression that I killed you."  
  
Vega kept his same tone. "Impressions can be deceiving."  
  
Cammy asked a question. "Do you know that we have been tracking you?"  
  
"I saw you when you arrived." Vega replied.  
  
She kept the same relentless tone. "I have quite a bit I need to ask."  
  
He asked the next question. "I assume about your past?"  
  
"Yes." Was her simple reply.  
  
He chuckled. "Funny, I thought you would have put it behind you."  
  
Another fist slammed across his face. This blow was harder than the last. "Don't patronize me, Vega." Cammy commanded. "Tell me everything before you rescued me from Shadaloo."  
  
Wolfman, Luwanda, and Matthew all looked at her. They had been under the impression that they had rescued her. They kept quiet and waited for Vega to answer.  
  
"You were born in Russia. Bison gave us no names of the individuals we were about to kidnap on my first mission in Shadaloo. Your father was a journalist and had moved to Great Britain two months before you were abducted. I never had his name either. When I took you too Shadaloo, Bison quickly took you away from me. There were many girls their, from all parts of the world. But Bison wanted to filter out the bad ones. He was content with a set of thirteen young girls. You were among them. You all had been brainwashed, but Bison needed to make you thirteen special from the other girls. Decapre was the first to have the procedure tested out on her. Her face was horrible disfigured from it, so she was implanted with a steel mask to hide her imperfections. They learned from their mistakes with her and implanted the DNA of Bison into all of you. He then ordered me to train you. He called you "the dolls."  
  
Cammy interrupted him. "Who were the "dolls" and what became of them?"  
  
Vega lowered his head. "There were twelve of them from all over the world. Enero from Spain, Fevrier from France, Marz from Germany, Aprile from Italy, Satsuki from Japan, Juni from Germany, Juli from Germany, Santum from Vietnam, Xiayu from China, Yanyu from China, Noembelu from Latin America, and Decapre from Russia. They are all dead."  
  
Cammy stuck her hand below Vega's chin. "How did they die, and why didn't I?"  
  
"Prior to escaping from Shadaloo, Bison had his genetic material altered due to an attempted attack from a gypsy woman named Rose. They were programmed to live only as long as Bison remained alive. When his DNA was altered, their programming reacted accordingly. They all died."  
  
Cammy asked again, screaming at Vega. "And why didn't I die?"  
  
Vega responded. "You were different. Bison was fascinated with you. Your programming didn't allow for your destruction like their programming did. Then again, being trapped in the Psycho Drive might have eliminated all the programming."  
  
"Tell me about the Psycho Drive."  
  
Vega continued. "It was just before I rescued you. It was supposed to keep Bison invincible. When I brought you back to Shadaloo, I fought him because of you. He imprisoned you, and I managed to escape and get you out. I believe you remember what happened from there."  
  
Wolfman's voice penetrated the argument. "I would like to hear what happened after the first fall of Shadaloo."  
  
Luwanda's voice made four. "Yeah, I thought we saved you from Shadaloo."  
  
Matthew joined in. "Yeah, and you fought this guy on that one mission."  
  
Cammy saved Vega from explaining. "The earliest I remember is that I was in Spain with Vega. This was after Shadaloo, but before I joined you. I stayed with him for several years. He helped me."  
  
"What happened the night we saved you? Obviously, something went wrong. Two Shadaloo officers were attacking you." Wolfman enquired.  
  
Vega responded in an effort to free Cammy from the pain he had caused. "There was a dance at a royal residence in Spain. It was a set-up for me. My family belongs to a long line of nobles, as well as politicians. We had our enemies." Vega looked down at the ground as if he had a dark secret he was keeping. "Two people attacked us at the dance. I disposed of them and Cammy and me left toward England. I should have seen the irony in returning there. But I didn't know that she was the girl I led to Shadaloo. We were on the final leg of the trip, a train to London. Bison was waiting for us. I did not know he was still alive. Cammy remembered her past on the train. She was in the deepest of nightmares. She woke up and attacked me. She then ran down the train toward the end car. Bison had Balrog and Sagat follow her, while we escaped back to new Shadaloo."  
  
Matthew's gruff voice ended it off. "So that led you two to fight on the mission. It was a simple mind game."  
  
"Played by Bison." Vega added. "But he didn't realize the toll it would have on me. He didn't realize that I didn't have the mindset to kill Cammy. Chun-Li was another story though."  
  
"We do know what happened on the mission." Luwanda said.  
  
Vega finished. "Of course you do."  
  
"Now that everything is explained, I think it would be best if we rested for the night and went back in morning." Xavier broke his silence suddenly. They all agreed that it was the best course of action. George couldn't travel in his current situation, and Vega needed a little time for his leg to get better. Fortunately, he could stand on it with little pain.  
  
The Final Night  
  
Vega wasn't able to sleep. So much had happened which he could not comprehend. He stared at the dancing fire as the wood crackled peacefully in the night. George was there. He had fallen asleep quite early, but he was only woke up a little bit before. The man they called Wolfman was the only other person sitting by the fire. He sat up from his feigned slumber. Wolfman's voice elevated over the fire. "You better get some rest; it's a long walk back to town."  
  
"I'll be fine." Vega said as he walked up the path to the top of the plateau.  
  
The top of the plateau was flat and the moon shone brilliantly just above it. She stood alone on the plateau, staring at the moon. She heard the footsteps behind her, but she didn't turn her head. She knew who it was by the heaviness of one of the footsteps. Vega sat down on the edge of the plateau; his feet were dangling over the edge.  
  
Cammy stared at the moon a little longer. "It's beautiful. Staring at it takes all my worries away."  
  
Vega stared at the glowing orb. "The moon is an enigma. It appears every night, but still retains its mysticism."  
  
Cammy asked. "Vega, was everything you said back there true?"  
  
Vega was caught off guard by the question. "Of course, why would I have a reason to lie?"  
  
"You lied before." Cammy snapped. "About your past. You said your mother died sick, and a bull gored your father. I read the reports, they were murdered, and you were the only one there. Tell me the truth."  
  
Vega stared at the canyon below, and Cammy sat down beside him. "My family grew famous threw politics, and our wealth was accumulated in various fashion. My family was not very popular among the other nobles. I believe you do remember the dance. I was only fifteen. But I will never forget that night when it happened. There were two men. I heard them shatter the window. I ran to see what it was. I did not know that they had come for me. They both had knives and were staring at me from the long hallway. Next thing I remember, they grabbed me." Vega winced as he remembered the scene. They had planned to take him away. "My parents tried to stop them. Those two bastards killed them." Vega remembered the horror he felt when he saw his mother stabbed right in front of him. He relived the pain when his father's neck was slashed. "I hated the ugly bastards. I hated everything they were. I hated everything they had done. They were inferior. I was going to make those hideous assholes pay." Cammy could only help but fear the anger that was in Vega. It was something she had never felt, not even at the dance. His hand was clenched and tears could be seen on his eyelids. "They had averted their gaze from me, so I grabbed the knife as soon as I could. I had never killed anyone before then, but I never hesitated. I slashed the man's throat with his own knife. The other one lunged at me, but I ducked his knife. I slashed past his stomach, down to the ground. I stared at the two huddled masses, and dropped the knife. I dragged the bodies away and buried them deep in the yard. I put my parents back in their bed."  
  
Cammy felt bad that she had asked the question. She could tell Vega was telling the truth. Something in his voice assured her of that. "I'm sorry."  
  
Vega interrupted her. "It gets worse. Because after I did everything, I walked back inside the house. The knife was still on the ground. It haunted me. The blood beckoned me. I picked it up, and licked off the blood. The worst part is, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed every second of me killing those bastards."  
  
Vega looked up at the moon, as if its mysticism was making him forget the pain. The silence was beginning to overwhelm them when Cammy broke it. "Vega?"  
  
Vega lay down on his back and turned his head to her. "Yeah?"  
  
"Why did you save Pidge?"  
  
Vega had to think of how to say it. "After that night, I had become accustomed to senseless killing. I thrived on the blood of others. But that changed. I realized throughout everything that things you love are so easily lost. I lost everything I desired because I became a heartless murderer. When I saw the boy fall, I believed that somehow, if I could save the boy, I would see why life was so important."  
  
Cammy responded sheepishly. "Did it work?"  
  
Vega looked back at the moon. "I really don't know."  
  
Cammy still looked at the ground when she answered. "Then why did you bother? If you didn't care about him, why did you save him?"  
  
Vega closed his eyes. "Would you rather me have let him die?"  
  
Cammy chuckled. "I guess not."  
  
Silence filled the air. A feeling of uneasiness settled between them. "It's peaceful out here." Vega said as he closed his eyes.  
  
Cammy agreed and lay down next to him, gazing up at the stars. She began to hum a tune, familiar to her heart but not to her mind. "What?" Cammy replied when she heard Vega chuckle.  
  
Vega quietly laughed. "Do you remember that song?"  
  
Cammy thought for a minute and chuckled. "No, I really don't."  
  
Vega stood up and took Cammy by the hand. He swung her up and held her close to him. Vega hummed the tune and moved his feet to the melody. She remembered. It was the final song of the dance. So they danced without music, underneath the moon.  
  
Luwanda chuckled while she watched from the shadows. "They're really hooked on each other aren't they?"  
  
Wolfman replied with a smirk on her face. "Looks like it. Too bad we have to take him in tomorrow."  
  
Luwanda replied solemnly. "Yeah, we do have a mission to do. Cammy has to accept that."  
  
Endgame: Part 1  
  
The morning broke with more peace and beauty than any of them had seen in a while. Vega removed the unneeded bandages from his leg and George woke up with little more than a headache and a sick stomach. He was quickly brought up to speed about what had happened. Only Xavier seemed tense. They had a brief breakfast and began to pack their things up to head back to the village.  
  
"That's enough, I'll take him from here." Xavier's words shocked the others, who had expected to carry the mission out completely.  
  
Wolfman responded while everyone stood slowly. "I don't think so; we carry this mission out to the end."  
  
A hideous laughter filled the air. "Mission? Did you really think this was a mission?"  
  
They were cautious to Xavier. They didn't know what he was talking about. "You really believed the charade we all put on." The laughter was growing louder and louder. Xavier threw his black hair to the ground, only to reveal short blonde hair. He ripped some machine from his neck and the Spanish accent was gone. They could hear his high pitched laugh fill the canyon. "Xavier? Xavier? There is no Xavier. I am Doctrine Dark."  
  
Luwanda stepped back. "So, this was all a set-up. For what?"  
  
Doctrine responded. "You idiots. Do you not realize how much that man is worth? He is the only member of Shadaloo without a body somewhere. He is worth millions. All I needed was a fake excuse to get people to do all the work for me." His sinister laugh continued to fill the air.  
  
Wolfman chuckled. "And do you really think you can get past all of us?"  
  
Doctrine laughed. "The question is, can you get by me?"  
  
Wolfman pulled out his gun, but Dark had already flung himself at him. Two blades, which were in his hands, slashed through the barrel of Wolfman's gun. Dark slammed his knee into Wolfman's chest and pushed him to the ground. Matthew swung his gigantic arm at Doctrine, who ducked the punch and slammed his knife into the cybernetic arm. Sparks flew as he pulled the blades out and slammed his foot into McCoy's face. Luwanda drew her blade and slashed at Doctrine. Dark caught the sword in his two blades and pushed it to the side. Luwanda threw her foot at his head, but he ducked and swept her remaining foot from under her. He slammed his fist into her face as she was falling. George jumped back as he grabbed Cammy's gun from her waist. He shakily held it in his hands and pointed it at Dark. The gun fired, but the bullet sailed over Doctrine's ducking head. His blade slashed Pidge on the chest, sending him down to the ground. He snatched the gun in a near invisible manner and turned toward Vega and Cammy. Vega pushed Cammy back and held his hand at Dark.  
  
"Ahh, so now the target wants to fight." Doctrine laughed as Vega flipped into the air. Cammy grabbed his claw and mask and flung them to him. Vega landed with them on. The two stood off for a while, each waiting for the other to make their move. Vega glared at Dark with hidden fury and rage while Dark held a sadistic gleam in his eye. Dark sensed the slight movement in Vega as he prepared to lunge. Before Vega could move he whipped out the gun and pulled the trigger. The bullet sank through the skin, and its target fell to the ground.  
  
Endgame: Part 2  
  
Vega watched in horror as the bullet ripped through the air toward him. He threw his head to the side and the bullet struck the metal of his claw. Cammy fell to the ground. Vega tore off his claw and hurled it to the ground. He ran toward Cammy and swept her up in a full run. He ran in the direction of the town.  
  
Doctrine stared in anger. "Damn, he's gone." He ran after him, but in another direction. He whipped a small two-way radio from his waist and yelled into it. "He's headed for the village, I'm en-route." Doctrine leapt off the edge of the cliff and fell below the solid rock wall. A noise, which sounded like a gentle humming at first, grew into a loud roar. Doctrine landed on one knee in the helicopter and they took off toward the village.  
  
"Is everyone all right?" Wolfman said as he slowly got up.  
  
"I'll be fine, I don't know about Pidge though." Matthew said as he clasped his normal arm over his robotic one."  
  
Luwanda rubbed her face. "Damn, he was strong."  
  
Pidge shakily held his hand to his bloody chest. "What about Cammy?"  
  
Wolfman sighed. "We need to get to the village as fast as possible. But Cammy is in Vega's hands now. Doctrine may beat them there; it depends on how fast Vega is."  
  
Luwanda tied George's shirt around the cut to help stop the blood. "Vega will have to fight him; he made short work of us."  
  
Wolfman walked over and snatched Vega's claw from the ground. "One thing is for sure; he'll need this."  
  
They all grabbed what they needed and tended to each others wounds. They then began to go back to the village, knowing that they might be needed.  
  
Doctrine didn't realize how fast Vega actually was. Vega already covered a good portion of the distance when he got into the helicopter. Vega ran into a building and yelled out something in Japanese. A man ran toward him and took Cammy from his arms. A few people followed him but women told Vega to wait there. Vega squatted down and put his head in his hands. He began to talk to himself. "Don't die, Cammy, don't die. God why did I have to dodge that bullet? Damn that Dark, I'll kill him if Cammy dies." Vega stood up and stared forward. There was a scowl on his face. "I'll kill him." The humming of a helicopter could be heard gradually getting louder.  
  
Vega walked outside calmly. Fortunately, the people of the village sensed the danger and cleared the street. Vega stood in the middle looking at where the helicopter was coming from. He reached to his side, but didn't feel the claw there. The helicopter was in plain sight when Vega looked up again.  
  
"There he is, shoot him." Doctrine yelled from the back of the helicopter.  
  
Vega jumped to the side as the bullets whisked by him, raising dust wherever they hit. He jumped to a wall as bullets sprayed the area where he was standing. Bullets struck the wall where he was. Vega ran forward to get too close for the bullets to hit. He slid under the helicopter so the bullets could not hit him. He shuffled around to stay under because no one got out of it. The copter raised into the sky and sped forward and Vega rushed to hide behind the building. He could not hit them while they had the bird. Vega had expected them to circle around to try to find him, but he heard the sounds of bullets piercing the old, wooden roofing of the building.  
  
"Damn, they are going to kill someone." He looked at the building Cammy was in, and he knew he could not let anything happen.  
  
Vega leapt up the wall onto a building. He ran forward into the bullet fire and jumped toward the machine. His hands grasped the landing rails.  
  
"Pull up, shake him off." Doctrine commanded as he lay on the floor.  
  
He stabbed at Vega's hands with his blades. Vega tried to shuffle his hands, but the helicopter was jarring back and forth. He eventually stuck his feet to the rail and sprung to the rail on the opposite side. He swung on it and flung himself into the cabin. There were 4 guys, not including the pilot, in the helicopter. Two guys lunged at Vega. He flung himself forward, sending one flying out of the helicopter and into the midst of the village with a flipping kick. When he landed he spun and struck the other one in the chest, which sent him flying out of the opposite side of the helicopter. Dark pushed the final guy at Vega, who simply grabbed him and slammed his back into the helicopter's floor. Vega stood up and stared at Doctrine, who was still standing near the edge of the copter. Vega rushed at Doctrine, who tried to sidestep him. Vega grabbed Dark and slammed him against the copter wall. Vega threw him on the floor and began to choke him while nearly hanging out of the copter.  
  
Vega slammed his fist into Doctrine's face. "This is for the others." He then slammed his fist into Dark's neck. "And this is for Cammy."  
  
Doctrine slammed his knee into Vega's chest. His feet pushed Vega over the edge. Vega grabbed the rail and Doctrine began to punch at him. Bullets ripped through the tail of the helicopter. The machine began to descend and Dark halted his assault. Wolfman stood with his automatic a little ways away. Vega dropped off onto a rooftop and the helicopter began to ascend. Wolfman hurled Vega's claw to him. Vega caught it by the handle and quickly donned it. Dark leapt off the helicopter and stood opposite of Vega on the roof.  
  
Vega yelled out. "Take care of the helicopter, I can't dodge the bullets and fight him."  
  
Wolfman smiled. "You heard him, let's take that bird out of the sky."  
  
Showdown  
  
The pilot was barely able to maintain the helicopter when the fighting was on board, but when everyone was off he was doing fine. He turned the copter to give Doctrine some air support, but he was met with a hail of fire from Delta Red. The glass shattered in front of him and he tried to fly off. They followed him from the ground. Everyone of them was shooting something at him. Several bullets pierced the bottom of the helicopter. A final shot from Wolfman hit the nose of the copter. The control panel sparked and his systems began to fail. He plunged deep into the village and crashed in a fiery blaze. Flames struck all the buildings in the area and began to spread rapidly.  
  
"We have to get everyone out of here." Wolfman commanded as ran toward the wreckage.  
  
George looked as he ran. "Where's Cammy?" He yelled out just about the screams and the sound of the flames.  
  
"We have to trust Vega." Wolfman yelled back as they ran toward the flames.  
  
Vega stood, staring at Doctrine while the flames surrounded them. No words were spoken, and no stare was averted. Doctrine crouched slightly, getting ready to attack. He lunged at Vega, swinging his blades at him. Vega grabbed his hands and slammed his knee into his chest. He flipped Dark over his back. The ceiling cracked and Dark fell through the roof. Vega jumped in afterwards. Vega couldn't see Doctrine when he landed. Flames had hit the building and were consuming the inside. He fell to the ground when a table smashed at his back. He rolled on his back as Doctrine jumped on him, trying to press the blade to his face. Vega pushed him off and flip backwards to his feet. Dark hurled a chair at Vega, who slashed through it only to be hit with the second chair he threw. Vega fell to the ground again, but began to get up to his feet. Doctrine ran toward Vega, getting ready to stab at him. Vega ducked down and pushed his claw straight through Dark. The blades dropped to the ground and Doctrine stumbled back. Vega yanked the claw out and stared at Doctrine with a scowling look on his face.  
  
Vega muttered a word out of his mouth. "Die." Doctrine fell to the ground.  
  
Endgame: Part 3  
  
Wolfman could not see Vega or Cammy anywhere. The fire was spreading rapidly and nothing but scared civilians and flames could be seen. Vega held Doctrine up by the neck. Doctrine wasn't breathing and the blood had drained from his chest. With his last bit of rage he hurled Doctrine's body through the flaming wall. Vega stepped into the street where Wolfman stopped him. "Vega, where's Cammy?"  
  
Vega looked frantically and pointed to one of the blazing buildings. "We need to get her out of that building."  
  
They rushed toward the building in which Cammy was. "She should be in the back." McCoy's giant hand slammed through the wall. There were two man who were crouched on the floor. Cammy was in between them. Matthew ran in as a girder fell. He caught it in his hand and the two men ran out. Vega ran in and grabbed Cammy.  
  
They watched the blaze simmer down from a distance. Helicopters helped dull the blaze. Vega held Cammy while the others looked on. "It's over now. Doctrine is dead. The mission is complete."  
  
Wolfman responded solemnly. "And our mission was to catch you. It's now complete."  
  
They all looked down. They knew he was right. Vega was to be apprehended. A smile spread across Luwanda's face. "Wolf, who gave us those orders?"  
  
Wolfman looked at her. "Well, the Spanish Secret Service."  
  
Vega laughed. "Is that what Dark told you? There is no Spanish Secret Service. And certainly not any police force that has authority in Japan."  
  
Luwanda replied to Vega. "As much as I would like to take you in for murder, I believe we cannot. We have no jurisdiction here."  
  
George laughed. "You're right, we have no authority here."  
  
Wolfman smiled. "Well then, we better hitch a ride on one of those helicopters out of here, because it would be a long walk back."  
  
They all began to walk back to the village, leaving Vega and Cammy alone. "I guess that's it then." Vega said.  
  
Cammy replied softly. "Yeah, you can't go with us to England."  
  
Vega responded confidently. "But I have the whole world in front of me. So our paths may meet again."  
  
Cammy smiled. "So for now, it's farewell. Beautiful Soldier."  
  
Vega smiled as the others left. Cammy would join them, and Vega would go his own separate way. But they would always remember each other. The trials of the two has ended for now, but humanity may yet bring more trials, and perhaps there will be another meeting of the beautiful soldiers.  
  
The End 


	8. World's Strongest

World's Strongest (part 1)  
  
It takes a great man to fight his past. But when things don't go according to plan, it takes a strong man to overcome his situation. When a madman rises to dominance, it is Delta Red who has to overcome him. But will an encounter with a beautiful soldier jeopardize the mission?  
  
The Siege  
  
He sat sipping his small ceramic cup. The hot, dry air threw dust along the busy brick road. Cement buildings were cracked beyond their thin white-wash coats. The wind blew across his face as he sat on the patio of a lifeless restaurant. The man was in his mid-thirties and the black jacket to his tie-less business suit was thrown haphazardly over the vacant chair next to him. Two men were arguing on the street near him. A few tall buildings were scattered about, but mostly they never reached more than a few stories in height. He finished the last sip of his coffee and continued to wait for his food when it happened.  
  
He didn't notice the flash on top of one of the larger buildings. And wouldn't have been able to guess the implications even if he had. But he could not ignore the blast of fiery red and orange colors which followed. Nor could he ignore the screams of the masses which surrounded the area and the falling of large chunks of debris to the earth. He tore off his sunglasses and watched in horror. Gunshots from afar silenced the terror partially, but soon gave rise to more screams. Surprisingly, to him at least, no shot penetrated a civilians skin. People filed away from the building in large numbers. The man raised his arms as four guns were pointed directly at him. He was herded in a different direction.  
  
The Mission  
  
They did not need to look at the black and white pictures which sat in front of them. The had seen the news stories which had replaced parts of normal television since it had happened. The shots of multiple buildings were not new and the scene of the assassination was already well known to them.  
  
A large, gruff man with a noticeable scar down his cheek pointed at locations on a map with a short wooden pole. "He has taken Rabat and killed the king. The Royal Armed Forces of Morocco fell easily to him. The Gendarmerie didn't last much longer. With speed greater than Adolph Hitler's "Blitzkrieg" he has flawlessly taken control of the country in less than a weeks time. He has set his troops 20 kilometers from the borders on all sides but still has units making sure no one enters of leaves the country. Apart from the king and his advisers, not one civilian has perished."  
  
A man with shoulder-length hair spoke. "Who exactly are we dealing with here? Who is 'he'?"  
  
The gruff man continued. "The man's name is Rolento."  
  
The other man continued. "Would this be the same Rolento which terrorized Metro City as a member of 'Mad Gear'?"  
  
"Correct. After Mad Gear's fall in Metro City, Rolento has been attempting to recreate it and to form a military Utopia. His plan has begun. He already has a foothold."  
  
"Sir, may I question you on the extent of this foothold?"  
  
"I already informed you. The borders are sealed and the Moroccan army has been defeated. The frightful part of it is the time span in which he has completed it in. He is by far the most tactful and capable military leader you have faced, as well as one of the greatest terrorists the world has seen in the modern era.."  
  
The man laughed. "Shouldn't be too hard. We did take out Shadaloo."  
  
The first man's face switched to a deep scowl. "Do not underestimate this situation Colonel Wolfman. Mad Gear has innocent lives at their disposal. We also can't afford another haphazard job like the one which took place in Japan. We need precision. We need speed. And most importantly, we need minimal loss of human life. This will be a test unlike any which has been set before you. I trust that you will not fail again."  
  
Wolfman responded with a cocky two-finger salute. "Yes sir."  
  
The man was about to put the pictures away before he started talking again. "One more thing." He said as he grabbed a few pictures from a beige envelope which sat in his briefcase. "This is ambassador Nigel Chombers." He said as he pointed to a picture of a tall man with a light complexion, blonde hair, and a noticeable scar over his right eye. "We need him out alive. Protect British interests. You leave at 0500 tomorrow. Good luck."  
  
The door slammed as the walked down the wide hallway out of the office. "It's about bloody time they gave us another job." Wolfman scowled as he continued to walk  
  
Luwanda agreed. "We have been inactive for years now. Ever since that mission in Japan."  
  
Matthew chimed in. "It still seems hard to believe that they blamed us for destroying that town.  
  
Wolfman responded while he was still walking. "It was either tell them the truth and get arrested or take the blame but still report getting the job done. If we told them we let an international criminal and murderer go we would be locked up faster than anyone we have ever gotten."  
  
George agreed. "We needed to report to them that he was hostile and we had to take him out by any means possible. It was the only option we could take and keep minimal scrutiny."  
  
They all agreed. Only Cammy remained silent. She, like most of Delta Red, hadn't changed much in the few years after the mission in Japan. Only George had a noticeable change. He had grown a little taller and he spoke with a deeper voice. The same group would be departing for Morocco in the morning to take on Rolento.  
  
The Report  
  
The loud thud of his boots filled the empty hall. The red beret set slanted on his dark hair. His dusty beige combat suit sat loosely on his rigid body.  
  
"Blain, what's our status?" Rolento called out to one of his men.  
  
The man he called Blain stepped forward. He was of medium stature with short black hair and a dark complexion. "Sir, The assassination attempt was successful as you already know. The large cities have been secured and we have rounded up every man who appeared to be of European or American decent. There has been minimal resistance and no unnecessary loss of life. We have cleared the debris from the empty buildings we have bombed and they appear to have been a successful intimidation factor."  
  
Rolento smiled before he responded. "Excellent. Everything is going according to schedule. Men, inform the infantry to completely seal the borders. "Stage 1" is now complete. Now proceed to "Stage 2". The Philanthropy mission is to take effect as soon as possible. Total take over is proceeding right on schedule."  
  
It was Blain which spoke up again. "Sir, what if we are attacked?"  
  
Rolento chuckled at the questions. "Our soldiers are the best in the world. It will be too late before they send anything which is a threat to us. And even then, we will crush them." The soldiers looked at each other silently in the pause. "Now, back to your positions. We haven't much time."  
  
The soldiers left as another came in and saluted. "Sir, we have the ambassador. He is currently being held with a few of the other prisoners."  
  
Rolento chuckled again. "This keeps getting better and better." He followed the soldier through a long hallway to where the ambassador was being kept.  
  
The Breaking  
  
When he woke up he was in a small room. His hands had been chained to the wall. There were three others in the room with him, one was next to him and the other two one on the walls. He could hear the sound of Rolento's boots coming down the hall. Rolento stood in the lit room for a second before walking toward him.  
  
"Well, well. Ambassador Chombers, it is a pleasure to finally meet you." Rolento said as he glared into his face.  
  
He raised his head and scowled at Rolento. "It's funny. The world sees you not as a leader. They see you as a terrorist."  
  
A frown grew across Rolento's face. "Would a terrorist take a country over without the loss of one innocent life? I will be known as the greatest conqueror in history. I will be known as the greatest dictator in history."  
  
Nigel had to restrain himself from screaming. "Yes, a dictator. Lowered to the likes of Hitler. You will never be a real leader. You will never be competent."  
  
Rolento had to restrain himself now. "And what has democracy ever caused? Apart from trouble and misery. Corruption is rampant in your democratic countries. And what will democracy do for you now? Will it save you? What can democracy do? It's tied up in personal problems and corrupt individuals. It is filled with self-centered individuals who only advance the proletariat. They never help the common man. They never improve life for a normal human."  
  
Nigel screamed back at Rolento. "And what good dictator has there ever been? What country has thrived? What people have prospered?" His voice lowered. "What can you do to help the common man?"  
  
Rolento straightened himself up. "I can liberate them. I can free the streets of illicit drugs and poverty. I can solidify my place in history by making Morocco into a world power. An unrivaled military will protect my people, and the most intelligent leader in history will lead them there."  
  
Nigel chuckled. "Really? 'The most intelligent leader in history'? Is that what you call yourself? You are pathetic. You are no leader. You are a coward, hiding behind explosives and fear to make yourself known. You cower behind an army to express your politics. You make every citizen fear you long before you make them respect you. You are nothing. You are..." He stopped short and coughed. Rolento removed the knife from his stomach and stood straight in front of him.  
  
"I am a greater leader than you could ever dream of becoming. Democracy has never accomplished anything."  
  
The ambassador slumped down and soon grew completely limp. The breath escaped his body. His head hung toward the ground. Rolento turned his head at the man next to the ambassador. "My my, what do we have here?" There was a man who looked similar to the ambassador in his eyesight. Rolento tried to get a glance at his face, but the man jerked his head to the side and closed his eyes. Rolento frowned and slammed his stick into the man's stomach. When the man felt it, Rolento grabbed his head and held it up. "Funny, you were supposed to be dead. Now what would you be doing here?"  
  
The man uneasily stared back at Rolento. "Murderer" was the only word which came out of his mouth.  
  
Rolento laughed. "Now you're calling me a murderer. How ironic. I assume that I'll have plenty of time for questions. It's getting late now. Welcome to Morocco, Vega Fabio De Cerna." Rolento laughed as he walked away. He pointed his stick at the other two prisoners and they were released and let out of the room with fear still in their eyes. Rolento left Vega in the room with the dead ambassador. 


	9. Part 2: Failed Mission

World's Strongest (part 2)  
  
Arrival  
  
Compared to Japan, it was a rather short plane ride to Spain. They boarded a small boat to take into the Mediterranean Sea. Night came and they slowly made their way to the coast. The coastline was hardly visible when they slowly sank into the water. The black wetsuits couldn't keep the cold out of their skin. They each latched onto a large, torpedo-shaped metal tube, which began to propel them forward toward the coast. None of them had anything, excluding George, who had a laptop at his side. For a while, they could see nothing but the pitch-black water. It was rather fortunate that Rolento underestimated and forces which would be sent, for there were no sentries within the immediate area. They climbed out of the water and slipped out of their wetsuits. They had their camouflage underneath. Wolfman whispered out orders.  
  
"Matthew, stay here with George and provide us with some beach backup. It will be easier if you stay here and help with our escape. George, make sure we have multiple ways in or out. Matthew will provide you backup if you are in trouble. And if all else fails, get yourselves to safety. Cammy, Luwanda, come with me." They slowly snuck into the city while George and Matthew found a place where they would try to avoid conflict.  
  
They were all pretty anxious. It was their first mission in a while and they had been under constant scrutiny after the last mix-up. They had to do this mission right, otherwise, their futures would be at stake.  
  
Unlike the beachhead a little ways from the town, the royal residence was far from open. They came up to the large brick building on one of it's sides. There was a massive metal gate which two sentries were patrolling. There were two others standing at the lighted corners. There were bushes surrounding the area outside the estate. They hid in them while they waited for the sentries to pass. No one could risk speaking yet. The two guards routinely passed the area. They waited till the guards had gone away a little. Wolfman picked up a small stone and hit one of the sentries. The sentry turned and walked toward the bush. He looked around, but couldn't find anything. As he turned his back Wolfman sprang on him. He snapped his neck and took his gun. The other three sentries were running toward them. Cammy's foot smashed into one of the guard's jaw, which sent him into the chain fence. Luwanda rammed a different soldier into the fence. She reached for the blade on her back, but soon realized that she didn't take it on this mission. Wolfman lunged at the final guard. He flipped him over his back and twisted at his neck until he heard the bone snap. Cammy and Luwanda soon repeated him. Wolfman motioned to them and they quickly put on their uniforms. Their entire faces were covered except for their mouths. The uniforms for the guards were not too much unlike the wetsuits. They contained night vision goggles and a rifle. After the uniforms were on, he motioned for them to step out. He fired a few shots at one of the fallen soldiers before he stepped out. There was a single guard running toward them.  
  
"What happened here?" He yelled at Wolfman.  
  
Wolfman tried his best to disguise his voice. "Would be intruder, we took care of him."  
  
The man looked at him suspiciously. "Where are the bodies?"  
  
Wolfman immediately responded. "Over in the bushes. It got quite gruesome. One had a knife we had to apprehend. It's not a pretty sight."  
  
The guard quickly responded. "What's wrong with your voice?"  
  
He stood, unwavering. "He got a cheap shot in, knocked the wind out of me."  
  
The guard didn't really want to see the bodies. And they were the best soldiers in the world, so one soldier could not conceivably kill three of them. "Well, you know the rules, you still have to report it to Rolento."  
  
Wolfman had to suppress his smile. The soldier signaled for them to follow, and they entered the large, squeaky gate. The residence was very large. There was a large wooden door which led into a long, dark hallway. At the end of the hallway there was another door. They stepped into a large, well-lit room. They followed closely behind the soldier, and when he turned a corner into an adjacent room they made their move. Wolfman lunged at him, snapping his neck just beyond the glimpse of the cameras. They were in.  
  
Discovery  
  
George's laptop provided a great map of the place to help Wolfman, Luwanda, and Cammy navigate through. But while they were looking through the large residence, the dead soldier's body was found.  
  
Rolento was up and quite active, even though it was late at night. He let out an frowned when Gado appeared. "What news could be so important that you disturb me?"  
  
Gado was a former member of Mad Gear. After the group disbanded, he went his own way in crime. He eventually did end up in Rolento's forces, but he was never more than a lowly grunt. He walked up to Rolento and stood straight. "Sir, it appears that you may have been wrong. Intruders have been sent into our base."  
  
Rolento frowned at him. "Our soldiers are the best trained in the world. The intruders are a simple fluke, find and eliminate them. Get extra security around the holding area." Rolento started to pace around the large room as Gado left. He hadn't expected an attempt at them so quickly. His plan was going too well for it to be compromised by intruders. He started to talk to himself. "Gado doesn't know what he's doing. This is much to serious. I should attend to matters myself."  
  
Within minutes soldiers were running throughout the building. They crouched up in the shadows until all the soldiers had run past. "Fan bloody tastic." Wolfman sighed. "George, any idea where the hostages are being held?"  
  
A voice in his earpiece answered. "There is a large room just to your left. There are several small rooms near there. But stay clear of the area further down the hallway. It appears the main office is there."  
  
Wolfman nodded. "Thanks, Pidge." He signaled to Luwanda and Cammy and they slowly snuck down the hall. They were making their way to the large room when they heard more footsteps coming. They each dived into one of the smaller rooms to the side. Each of the rooms were completely blacked out. They waited in the rooms for any more soldiers to run across.  
  
Wolfman lay on his back for a few minutes. It felt good to take a rest. His eyes opened widely when they felt a cold liquid touching the tips of his fingers. He turned around and saw a dead body hanging on the wall. He stared at it blankly, not expecting to see it there.  
  
Luwanda and Cammy slowly walked back into the hallway. Luwanda broke the dead silence. "Yo, Colonel. We need to go."  
  
Wolfman still sat there, staring at the body. His eyes were full adjusted to the dark, and he could see every feature of the body.  
  
Cammy spoke this time. "Colonel, what's going on? We need to go. We have a mission to complete."  
  
Wolfman responded with a raspy voice. "No, we don't. The mission has been compromised."  
  
Luwanda responded in a whispered yell. "What are you talking? What compromised our mission?"  
  
Wolfman pointed forward and said in the same tone. "That."  
  
Cammy and Luwanda has to squint to see the body. But a look of horror spread to their faces once they did. Cammy swallowed as she spoke. "Is that?"  
  
Wolfman lowered his head. "Yes, that is Ambassador Chombers. He is dead."  
  
They were all disappointed by the news. But before they could report the news to George, a cough from the darkness caught their attention. Wolfman slowly stood up from the pool of blood which was starting to surround him and walked toward the sound.  
  
"Who's there?" His voice chimed with revived vigor.  
  
The voice didn't respond. It was as if the speaker was pondering some dark truth. After Wolfman asked the same question again, the voice spoke in a raspy tone. "Wolfman?"  
  
Reunion  
  
Wolfman almost jumped back. "Who the hell are you? And how do you know my name?"  
  
The voice didn't respond. Cammy and Luwanda walked slowly up behind Wolfman. Their eyes were trying to focus on the figure. Luwanda was the first to comment on they were thinking. "Oh my God, that's the ambassador!"  
  
The man had nearly the exact same appearance as the ambassador did. He didn't respond to her. He just kept repeating himself over and over again. "Oh my God. They are actually here. They are here. Oh my God, they are here."  
  
Cammy took a step back. "No, it's not the ambassador." They both looked at her, then at the figure. She walked up to him and knelt down. "Are you alright, Vega?"  
  
Luwanda and Wolfman stood in a silent shock. He looked almost exactly like the ambassador, apart from the scar on the forehead, and his Spanish accent. They looked at each as if they had the same idea.  
  
"Do you think it would work?" Luwanda asked Wolfman.  
  
Wolfman responded. "If we can get a fake scar on that forehead and a change in accent, no one would be able to tell the difference."  
  
Cammy looked at them in a questioning tone. "What are you two planning?"  
  
Luwanda responded to Wolfman, oblivious to Cammy's question. "But can he play the part? What does he know about British-Moroccan interests?"  
  
Wolfman spoke quickly. "I don't know what he knows. But I do know that we cannot afford to fail this mission. He may be our only hope."  
  
Cammy wouldn't be ignored. "What is going on here?" Cammy said as she stepped between them.  
  
Luwanda responded with a smile. "Cammy, we need Vega. He looks almost exactly like Nigel Chombers. If he can play the part, this may yet be a successful mission."  
  
Cammy stared at her in a stunned silence. She had to force herself to ask a question. "But if they see through the disguise? Not only will he pay, but we will be nothing short of tried for letting a murderer go free. And he is facing death for spreading Shadaloo influence through Europe."  
  
They looked at each other. They hadn't thought of that. Wolfman broke the silence. "We may have no other choice, Cammy. It may be risky, but if we don't, this will be our last failure. Besides, we cannot leave him here, not in the state he is in. Perhaps we should take him along, at least until the end of the mission. Then we can decide what our next course of action will be."  
  
She responded solemnly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."  
  
Wolfman smacked the blunt end of his gun on the chains and they broke open. Cammy caught him when he fell. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly.  
  
Vega could barely keep his exhausted eyes open. "I am now." 


	10. Part 3: Mixed Agenda

World's Strongest: Part 3  
  
Steel Rain  
  
His feet glided across the floor as the cold steel door opened. There was a man staring at a large computer monitor. Rolento's voice broke the rhythm of the man's typing.  
  
His commanding voice sounded to the man. "Raise the antenna. I don't want any communication to the outside before the intruders are taken care of."  
  
The man at the computer screen responded. "Yes, sir."  
  
He pressed a few buttons and the creaking sound of machines working filled the area. Rolento nodded. "Perfect, now put us under red alert. I want soldiers scanning the cities and the base."  
  
The man turned to Rolento. "But sir, it's two in the morning, that would cause quite a commotion."  
  
Rolento snapped back. "Do you question my authority?"  
  
The man whirred his head back to the screen. "No sir." He scooted his chair over and revealed the long neck of a microphone.  
  
Rolento walked to it and cleared his throat. He bellowed in a deep and authoritative voice. "This is your general speaking. I want all active units to patrol the area. Units four and five I want to scan the city for any dwellers. Shoot suspicious figures on sight. I repeat, we are on red alert, there are intruders in this building."  
  
Rolento nodded and the soldier turned the microphone off. Rolento walked out the door in search of Delta Red.  
  
Deadly Alliance  
  
They paced back and forth in the little area they inhabited. They hadn't heard from them in over an hour and they were getting anxious.  
  
The large man stopped his walking around and turned to the kid. "Hey, Pidge, what if they are in trouble in there. They may need our help."  
  
The kid took his eyes up from the computer screen and looked at the man. "Matthew, our orders are to stay here. Wolfman knows what he is doing. We cannot afford to compromise this mission because of a minor setback. I'm sure there was just a rise in interference since the last transmission. It would seem quite common." George looked back at his computer screen and tried typing in a few more commands. He received no response. He shook his head.  
  
Matthew raised his head and appeared to be focusing on something. "What's that sound?"  
  
George raised his head and listened. The bare stone walls of the building they hid in began to vibrate. They could here marching from the window. Matthew glanced out the window to see a street filled with soldiers.  
  
He backed up against the wall. "Bloody hell!"  
  
George slapped the laptop shut and stuck it in the case on his back. "Shit, we have to get out of here."  
  
A light shot through the window and they could faintly hear voices below. "We saw it coming out of this window."  
  
Another, louder voice followed. "What is in this building?"  
  
The soldier replied soon after. "Its abandoned sir. It was set to be demolished within the next week."  
  
The loud voice continued. "Very well then, move out."  
  
They looked around the empty room for some sort of escape. But there was no exit beyond the window and the door leading into the room. They could hear soldiers running through the lower level and knew it would not be long before they ran up the stairs into their room. They knew they were trapped.  
  
First Interaction  
  
He fired as he ran backwards. It had been like this for the past hour. Cammy helped Vega along as Luwanda and Wolfman provided cover fire. There was a long hallway in front of them and soldiers running in after them.  
  
Wolfman yelled as he fired the gun. "What the hell happened? Everything was fine till we saved Vega, now every soldier in this damn place is on us. Luwanda, any word from George?"  
  
Luwanda held two submachine guns, stolen from fallen soldiers. "No, nothing. And we can't contact him. Something has jammed the sequence."  
  
Wolfman cursed under his breath then yelled aloud again. "When is the next check in at HQ?"  
  
Luwanda glanced around for a clock, but couldn't find one. "My best bet would be about an hour."  
  
Wolfman cursed again. He kicked open a door at one side of the hallway and ran in. There was a small bedroom behind the door, and they worked to push a dresser in front of the door. Luwanda and Wolfman continued to pile stuff in front of the door while Cammy ripped the camera down from the wall. They sat down on the bed to catch their breath. The bed's red covers wrinkled as they sat down.  
  
Cammy caught a deep breath. "What's going on here? How did he discover us?"  
  
Wolfman sighed. "It was inevitable. There was probably a camera in the room where Vega was."  
  
Luwanda lay down on the bed. "How long do you think we have until they break down the door?"  
  
Vega shook his head. "Only a few minutes. They'll blast it open."  
  
Cammy sighed. "Then what the hell do we do?"  
  
They all sat thinking for a few seconds. The room was ornately decorated. It had paintings of famous people on the wall, although they could not recognize one of them. There was no other entrance apart from the main door. The other doors led to a bathroom and a closet. They could here the dull scream of a siren from outside the window. They were obviously in a guest bedroom.  
  
Luwanda sighed as she spoke. "We missed the call. We have no way of contacting either George or headquarters. We are stuck here."  
  
Wolfman was about to respond but a clang on the outside of the door silenced him.  
  
The fiery blast ripped through the makeshift barrier and scorched the paintings. Pieces of wood and stone littered the room. The soldiers broke down the wreckage that surrounded the door, but found no one inside.  
  
He brought his hand up to the ledge and pulled with all his strength. He hoisted himself up onto the ledge and stepped through the smashed window. He let Cammy down from his back. Luwanda and Wolfman were waiting for him. The room they entered was a bathroom, so it had no camera. "Should take them a few minutes to discover where we are." Wolfman's voice was reassuring. But they knew they would have no time for a rest.  
  
Wolfman slowly opened the door. There were no guards in the immediate area. They slowly trekked into the hallway. There was a staircase near them, but there were no stairs going up. They knew they were at the top.  
  
Luwanda broke the eerie silence. "There should be soldiers swarming this place. Why is there no one here?"  
  
The floor consisted of two hallways. They were surrounding a large room, which they thought could only be for conferences. At one there was an elevator while at the other there was another door. They walked up to the door and took deep breaths. Wolfman kicked the door open and they charged in with their rifles ahead of them.  
  
Fallen Star  
  
He was standing there with his back towards them. They could hear him chuckling. Rolento turned around to see them standing in front of them.  
  
He dryly complimented them. "Very impressive. You managed to get past all my soldiers." The thin smirk on his lip turned to a frown. "Many men died at your hands tonight. More than I killed to take over an entire country." They stood uneasily. Luwanda raised her gun. "No need, for the time being you are entirely safe." She lowered the gun and he continued. "You have caused quite a bit of hell. And for what? Democracy? Democracy is a joke. You prosper only by destroying those weaker than you. You have no care for what good comes of the political altering of a country. You care only for your own selfish interests. You are no different than Bison was. Except few ever have the power to go against you. Of course, you do tend to underestimate those whom you do choose to go against. Your years of dominance have spoiled you. Inflated you. Made you weak. And now you will falter again. You underestimate me, and I will be sure to punish you for it."  
  
Wolfman laughed. "In case you couldn't tell, we are the ones, which have you at gunpoint."  
  
Rolento smiled. "You would love to think so, wouldn't you?" He slowly reached down to his side and they fired. He pressed a button on a machine and looked up. Suddenly, the bullets began to slow, and eventually stop in front of him. "An electro-magnetic field. You cannot shoot me."  
  
He pulled a gun out from his hip and pointed. He smiled as he shot to the side and hit the wall. They began to back up when the door burst open. Before they could do anything they were surrounded by Rolento's troops. They stood back to back.  
  
Wolfman raised his gun. "I guess this is it. We have no choice. We must fight."  
  
Vega chuckled. "Not quite."  
  
Before Wolfman could turn his head he felt the hard blow on its back. He jarred once and fell to his knees. Cammy turned just in time to see Vega's foot sweep across Luwanda's face. The soldiers advanced.  
  
"Vega? What are you doing?"  
  
He turned to Cammy and lowered his head. "What needs to be done, Cammy, what needs to be done."  
  
He did not strike Cammy. Another soldier brought the butt of his gun on her neck. Her last sight before losing consciousness was that of Vega and his lowered head. She could not believe he had betrayed her. 


	11. Part 4: End Syndrome

Sorry this chapter took so long. I had a writer's block for quite a while. This is the last chapter in part 2 of the World's Finest Trilogy, The World's Strongest. I will start the final part of it shortly.  
  
World's Strongest: Part 4  
  
Next End  
  
Deep Emotion  
  
Her eyes slowly opened to complete darkness. It was so dark that she could not tell whether she was alive or dead. Deep groans from beside her told her that she was still alive. She could see the silhouettes of Wolfman and Luwanda next to her. Cammy shook her head, trying to wake herself up. She wanted to wipe her face but found that her hands were bound to the wall. She kicked her feet out. They weren't chained to the wall. Wolfman had just regained consciousness before Cammy and Luwanda was doing so just then. Luwanda's eyes adjusted to the dark as she looked around.  
  
Cammy rubbed her eyes against her arm. She had a painful headache, as well as little recollection of what actually happened. "What's going on? Where are we?"  
  
Wolfman snapped back. "That bastard betrayed us. They locked us up somewhere in the mansion."  
  
Cammy was in shock. "He? Vega? Vega betrayed us?"  
  
Wolfman replied solemnly. "Yes, he set us up."  
  
Luwanda asked in a groaning voice. "Why haven't they killed us yet?"  
  
Wolfman responded quickly. "Simple, they want to torture us first. They always do that."  
  
The door cracked open and released a flood of light into the small room. They squinted their eyes from the sudden influx of light. They could see the silhouette of a figure walking toward them. The door shut behind him and they had to squint to see who was walking towards them.  
  
"Bastard." Wolfman growled when he saw that it was Vega coming to them.  
  
Vega ignored him and spoke in a fast whisper. "We do not have much time. You have to get out of here. This room was an office before Rolento took over. There is a vent above you. Follow it to the left to get out."  
  
Wolfman snapped back. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Vega responded in the same tone. "You must get out. Your mission is a failure. If you want to live you have to escape."  
  
Wolfman snapped again. "How do you expect us to trust you? After all you have done?"  
  
Vega's voice didn't change. "You have no choice. Without it, you will die."  
  
Wolfman couldn't respond. His eyes never left Vega and his face never changed it's scowl. It was Cammy which spoke next. "Vega, why?"  
  
He lowered his head before he responded. "I'm sorry, I had no choice. When Rolento discovered that there were intruders, he offered me freedom to capture them. I had no idea it was you when I accepted. He set it up so you would find me before all the other hostages. After I took so long, he sent me in here as a final test of loyalty, to finish you off."  
  
Luwanda responded. "Then why were you are you here? I mean, why were you in Morocco at all?"  
  
Vega reached into his coat pocket and took out a small bag. It's contents looked like finely shredded grass. "It's a new type of experimental drug. I have several of these bags full. Each will give me a profit larger than my sums in Spain ever were." Wolfman chuckled. "Drug trafficking now? You make a habit of screwing yourself over don't you?"  
  
Vega glanced at Wolfman. A scowl shot across his face. "My life has not been as easy as your lives have. After Japan I was supposed to be dead, and even if I hadn't died there, I still am a criminal. I can never go home again. I have to find other ways to survive."  
  
Wolfman laughed. "Yeah, you were sure forced into being a drug trafficker weren't you?"  
  
Vega leaned over Wolfman. "Considering the situation you are in right now it would be in your best of interest not to piss me off." He lifted the claw which they now noticed on his hand and lowered it to touch Wolfman's face. He lifted it again and took a small metal rod out of his pocket. He went over to Cammy and started to pick the lock on the chains which bound her. The chains snapped open and Cammy dropped down. He released Luwanda next, and then Wolfman. "The vent is above you. I'll try to buy you some time. If he thinks you are dead he won't act as fast."  
  
Cammy turned to him. "How is he going to thing that we are dead. There are no signs of anything?"  
  
As she was speaking Vega pressed his claw into his side. He shook a little bit and crouched over. He pulled it out and raised the claw. He watched the blood drip down it. Cammy held her hand over her mouth. Vega tied his shirt around his stomach and concealed the makeshift bandage with his trenchcoat. He tried to stand up straight. He walked with suppressed limp toward the door.  
  
He turned his head and they were already gone.  
  
Facilitated Demise  
  
The soldiers walked out of the building with nothing to report. They said there was no one inside. While the others continued to search through the streets during the night two of the soldiers lagged behind. Just before the commander turned and saw them they slipped between two buildings and crouched up against the wall. One of them, a short soldier, took off his helmet. They had been lucky to escape the building. Only two soldiers took the upstairs. It was all they could do to set them up for an ambush then take their clothes. They made sure they stayed in the shadows so the overall size difference between them and the soldiers would not betray them.  
  
Matthew yanked off his helmet when he was sure the soldiers were gone. He sighed in relief. "That was a close one."  
  
George was also breathing heavily. "Yeah, we were almost toast."  
  
They sat for a few minutes calming their nerves before George shot up. "Oh my God, we have to report."  
  
Matthew shot up. "Oh yeah, it's past time." The sun's light was beginning to show on the horizon while George tried as fast as he could to get the satellite connection. He was in two minutes later.  
  
"Base, do you read us. Hannah, do you read us?"  
  
The women's voice came over through the headset. "Where in bloody hell were you two? Why didn't you report on time?"  
  
George breathed a sigh of relief and replied. "Don't expect the next time to be made either, we have to locate out of the city. There has been no word from Wolfman for the last few hours. We were attacked in the city. Neither of us is hurt, but we do not know what has become of Wolfman."  
  
Hannah was silent for a moment then replied. "We must assume the worst. We are implementing plan b, get yourselves out of the city now. Make your way back to the shore. We will send someone to pick you up."  
  
George screamed into the headset. "Plan B? You are going to bomb them? They may still be alive in there. It's probably just radio interference."  
  
Hannah kept her same professional tone. "I'm sorry. I'm merely taking orders. We have no choice. If Wolfman and his group do not evacuate in the next two hours, they are lost."  
  
George yelled back at her. "What about everyone in the city? Are they expendable also?"  
  
Hannah reassured him. "We are using low explosive bombs and are doing strategically targeted strikes. There will be no damage to anything other than the compound. I'm sorry Pidge, this is the way it has to be."  
  
George didn't wait for her to finish. He slammed the laptop shut and tore off the headset. "They are going to bomb them." He said in a somber voice. "They are going to kill all of them, Wolfman, Cammy, Luwanda. They are all going to die."  
  
Matthew stood up. He was several feet taller than Pidge and looked menacing with his cybernetic parts. "You always complained about not being allowed on any real missions. Now is your chance. They trained with us, fought with us, lived with us. They are one of us. We lived together. And if need be, we'll die together. They are our comrades. We don't leave our comrades behind."  
  
George raised his head and smiled. They looked toward the complex. They had two hours.  
  
Endgame  
  
He looked up as he saw him come in. He was holding his side and blood was on his claw. Rolento chuckled. "Very good. It seems you have done your job." He put the briefcase of the table and opened it up. There were several bags of the drug in it and Vega gazed at them. He took one of the bags in his hand and glanced at Rolento. He tossed the bag into the air and slashed through the plastic with his claw. He slashed the neatly laid bags in the briefcase and threw it too the floor. He then stormed out of Rolento's office. Rolento looked back down at his work, apathetic about Vega leaving.  
  
The vent cover fell to the ground as they climbed out. They were in a bathroom which they presumed was on the bottom floor. Luwanda crawled out first, followed by Wolfman, then Cammy. They could see the hallway which led them in, but the stood there, waiting. "Something isn't right about this." Wolfman concluded.  
  
Luwanda agreed. "This isn't complete. If we leave now we admit failure. We have never truly failed before."  
  
Cammy also agreed. "Yes, we know that we cannot leave. We have to finish this mission."  
  
They turned and nodded to each other and walked to the elevator. Since their "deaths" there had been a lack of guards. Perhaps the fact that they had killed so many contributed to it. When the elevator stopped short of the top floor they climbed out the hatch on the top. There were soldiers inside talking. They held their breath and waited. The elevator was coming up to the top and they were beginning to be pressed for room. The elevator stopped at the top and they pressed themselves. The door opened and the two soldiers saluted. Five seconds later they were on the floor dead and Vega stood where they dead. Wolfman, Cammy, and Luwanda dropped into the elevator.  
  
Vega didn't turn around. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to leave."  
  
Wolfman responded. "We have a mission and we intend to finish it."  
  
Vega kept his same tone. "We cannot defeat Rolento. This isn't like Doctrine. Rolento still has troops too large for us to handle. And he alone is still very strong. Perhaps he will even be harder to beat than Bison. By ourselves we cannot beat him."  
  
His negative tone ended their burst of morale. They knew he was right. The elevator hit ground floor and they followed Vega through the corridor and down the hallway. The sun was just rising in the sky and the hallway to the courtyard was flooded with light. There were no guards in the immediate area but there were some outside. They walked down the final hallway when a burst of sound erupted. They hid and looked out the door to hear the odd sound.  
  
Wolfman was shocked. "Oh my God."  
  
Luwanda turned to him. "What is it?"  
  
Wolfman was breathing scantily. "Tactical strikers. They are going to bomb us."  
  
Cammy turned to him. "What? They are going to kill us."  
  
Luwanda dropped to her knees. "Now, after all we have been through. It's useless? We are going to die?"  
  
Endgame (Part 2)  
  
The man rushed into his office at a deafening pace. He was breathing heavily. "Sir, there is something here you need to see."  
  
Rolento looked at the soldier. "What is it?"  
  
The man swallowed a lump in his neck and continued. "Large aircraft. We detected them on the radar. Using our sources we have discovered three aircraft, class B643F52."  
  
Rolento's eyes widened. "Bombers? Tactical strikers? No doubt they'll use low impact missiles to hit up. Where is the machine?"  
  
The soldier responded quickly. "On the roof, sir."  
  
Rolento responded with a nod. "Thank you, now at ease."  
  
The soldier stayed tense. "That is not all, sir."  
  
Rolento was walking past the soldier. But he turned to look at the back of his head. "What is it then?"  
  
The soldier responded quickly. "The aircraft are less than four minutes away. And the intruders who you sent the man to assassinate are still alive. They appeared to escape through a vent. There is some blood on the floor, but we cannot assess any signs of a struggle."  
  
Rolento frowned. "Damn, very well then, head back to your station."  
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
Rolento walked quickly to the stairway up to the roof. When he got to the top he could hear the feint drone of the planes in the background. He could see the small room which held the machine. He ran too it and tried to open the door. It was locked. He pulled it but it would still not budge. He could see the feint outline of the planes. He dropped a low-impact grenade and ran from the door. The explosion knocked the door in and Rolento threw it too the side. He picked up a rather large machine and set it in the direction of the oncoming planes. He pressed some buttons on a panel of the machine and stepped back. A small antenna came up and the machine began to emit a dull hum.  
  
They stood in the hallway watching the planes coming. Luwanda was still on her knees and Wolfman had his head lowered.  
  
He spoke solemnly. "I guess there is no way around it. We cannot survive an attack from those planes. It will take this entire complex out."  
  
They didn't know what Rolento had done. Nor did they know that Matthew and George were racing towards them at that instance. They had lost all hope.  
  
Cammy and Vega leaned against the other wall. They too knew that it was over. Cammy clenched her fist and squinted her eyes. She was suppressing tears. Vega looked over and saw her.  
  
His voice was lower than it usually was. He spoke but a single word. "Cammy."  
  
She turned and their eyes met. Vega grabbed her and held her against him, pressing his lips to hers.  
  
Luwanda and Wolfman stared at them. Even with all they had been through, they were still innocent in each others eyes. They had only now realized what they meant to each other. Cammy and Vega stopped. And with Wolfman and Luwanda by their sides they stared straight ahead. They saw the small objects leaving the planes. The missiles sailed towards them at incredible speeds. Vega held Cammy tightly as they all watched the missile close in on them. Matthew and George had stopped running. They too stared at the missile. The guards on the outside stared at the missiles each of the planes launched. Rolento stood on his ledge. His arms were crossed and he was staring at the missiles. They seemed to be heading right to the hallway. Cammy, Vega, Wolfman and Luwanda all lowered their heads. They felt the missile come towards them. But it did not collide.  
  
One of the missiles shot straight up in the air and collided with one of the planes. It fell past the complex and crashed into the city. Every missile launched did likewise.  
  
They all looked at what should have been destroyed. Wolfman was shocked. "What the hell?"  
  
Rolento laughed from his rooftop view of the destruction. The machine had come through. The missiles had been deflected into the city where they did him no harm. Vega looked up to see him.  
  
His voice shifted to anger. "That bastard!" The others looked at him with questioning expressions. "He deflected those missiles into the city. He killed innocent people."  
  
Vega didn't wait. He walked back inside the building and towards the elevator. While they watched him go the soldiers spotted them and began firing. Without weapons there was nothing they could do against the onslaught. They waited behind the thin ledge which stood as their only protection.  
  
The gates crashed and the metal crunched. The fire ceased and as they looked through the archway they saw Matthew and George, who had ambushed the soldiers. Wolfman nodded to them and signaled Cammy and Luwanda to go. They ran and met up with Vega just before he got in the elevator.  
  
Wolfman grabbed him on his shoulder. "Stop."  
  
Vega turned his heat. "You dare to give me orders?"  
  
Wolfman breathed deeply and continued. "Your side. You cannot defeat Rolento in your condition. You have spread yourself thin. We must take care of him."  
  
Vega ignored him and walked into the elevator. "I am more than capable of taking care of myself." The elevator door shut and Vega began to rise to the top.  
  
Endgame (part 3)  
  
The elevator reached the top of the line and Vega got off. There were soldiers in the hallway which turned and aimed at Vega. They did not have a chance to fire for Vega leapt off the wall and flew towards them. His claw pierced one in the chest and he slashed the other in the back. He found the stairway and walked up as the elevator went down.  
  
Rolento stood in the same way he did before. His back was to Vega and his arms were crossed. He seemed so unaware that Vega was shocked when he actually spoke. "The destruction is great isn't it. A foreign nation attacks us and takes a large portion of our capitol. So much anger I can mold. You don't understand how strong human hatred is. It is more powerful than all the nuclear weapons put together. It is so simple I can't believe that I didn't realize it before. I don't need to make everyone love me. All that is required is for them to hate you. But then again, you most likely know what is going on. You can turn all that anger against me. I cannot allow either you or your allies to leave here alive."  
  
Rolento turned to face Vega. Rolento chuckled as he took his baton out. "Ready?"  
  
Vega held out his claw and stepped back. They stood facing each other for a few moments. Rolento leapt through the air with speed even Vega was shocked at. Vega held up his claw and blocked Rolento's stick. Rolento moved with so much speed that he was able to slam his stick into Vega's injured side then against his skull. Vega went down, writhing in pain. Rolento walked up and stood in front of him.  
  
He laughed at the fallen Spaniard. "I would have expected a more worthy fight from you. Perhaps stabbing yourself to fake the death of your allies took much more out of you than you anticipated." He slammed his foot into Vega's side and laughed as he rolled over in pain. Vega's face was covered with blood and Rolento remained unharmed. He grabbed Vega by the neck and began to force him to his feet. Rolento dragged him to the edge of the building and smiled as he was about to throw Vega off the ledge.  
  
Vega felt himself hit the hard ground of the roof and Rolento fell over him. Cammy was behind where Rolento stood. She was on one knee and was breathing heavily. "We told you that you couldn't handle him." Wolfman was smirking above him. "Now it's our turn."  
  
Rolento made his way to his feet. He was a little stunned, but he reached for his stick anyways. Wolfman, Luwanda, and Cammy all stood in front of him. He could hear a loud crunching sound but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. Wolfman lunged at Rolento, who swiftly leapt over him. He was met with a blow by Cammy and Luwanda. He flew backwards and into Wolfman's elbow which slammed into his back. Rolento hit the ground but soon sprung back to his feet. He backed away from them slowly as they advanced. In a streak of blinding speed Rolento spun and threw an object toward them. They watched in horror as they saw the grenade, which was much larger and stronger than the low impact grenades he had used before. Wolfman and Luwanda acted quickly. Wolfman grabbed the grenade and tossed it to Luwanda, who kicked it high into the air. The blast knocked them to the ground. Rolento, who was used to similar blasts and was therefore not affected from the distanced grenade walked leisurely to the edge where Vega still lay.  
  
He laughed assuredly. "Even when I'm outnumbered I still triumph." Cammy watched in horror as Rolento lifted Vega and threw him over the ledge. Rolento stood there laughing until he felt something grip his foot. His leg was thrown back and he was sent screaming over the ledge onto the ground below. They looked where Rolento stood, shocked that he just fell over the ledge. They saw the hands reach the ledge and soon George pulled himself up.  
  
He looked at them and was breathing heavily. "Can I get a hand here. Matthew can't pull himself up."  
  
Cammy ran forward and smiled when she saw why. Matthew was holding onto the cracked bricks which had made the crushing sound Rolento heard earlier with one hand. The other hand was holding Vega, who was dangling.  
  
Matthew was pulled up and they rested on the roof. Cammy went and held Vega tightly while Matthew and George stared with a confused expression. Wolfman nodded in a tone which promised later explaining. It then donned on Matthew and George that it was not the ambassador they were looking at, which garnered even more stunned expressions. Wolfman chuckled as they rested just before calling back to base.  
  
Fresh Start  
  
Cammy briefed the blood stained Vega as they made their way back to the coast. "You must play your part well. Ambassador Chombers was a very serious man. He didn't allow himself time for personal matters. The plan is for you to resign in a week, but you must keep your true identity hidden till then. Even then we must steer clear of each other for a while. We cannot afford you to be immersed in the media this soon. Fortunately we won't be digging ourselves into a hole like we did after Japan. This is a fresh start for you Vega. You can actually live life as you could without your past."  
  
Vega smiled. He felt like hell but he had a place to go. All he had to do was pass the physical examination as Nigel Chombers and he would be set. The sun shined brightly as they boarded the helicopter. With the fresh, new day Vega received a fresh new start.  
  
Demon Fall  
  
"They call you the "Master of the Fist?" The voice pierced the darkness like a needle pierces the skin. "No, you do not have the power to free me. You are weak. There must be someone on this earth strong enough to fight me. Someone strong enough to free me of my fate."  
  
The man lifted his hand and a ball of blue energy appeared in his hand. The ball engulfed Akuma and drained the final of the powerful energy from his body. The fight had lasted two months, but the man standing triumphed over the strongest being alive. Even when Akuma fought with his true power he could not overtake the man. The man turned and walked away from the fallen Shotokan.  
  
I am power. I am might. I am strength. I am Sheng Long I am evil. I am fate. I am darkness. I am Sheng Long. I am Alpha. I am Omega. I am the embodiment of all. I am Sheng Long.  
  
The End 


	12. World's Bravest

Sorry for my delay. I have been working to try to get this done. I have probably lost most of my readers so those who have stayed I thank you.  
  
World's Bravest (part 1)  
  
Invitation  
  
Wolfman opened up the set of letters in front of everyone else. They had been enjoying their week off after a mission that was finally deemed "successful". Wolfman smiled as he read the contents of the letters that were delivered just minutes prior.  
  
Wolfman chuckled. "Surprise surprise. We were invited to Ambassador Chomber's resigning party. He is quitting the last job of his career."  
  
He didn't address the invitations, but they knew that after they saved him in Morocco, an event like this was certain to happen.  
  
Wolfman put them on his desk. "I don't think we should go. We wouldn't want to jeopardize this at the end."  
  
Luwanda chuckled. "Oh God, give it a rest. Vega has been fine even around us. He won't forget his role merely because we show up. It's been a while since we have gotten any respect. I say we take it."  
  
Matthew chuckled. "Count me and Pidge out. We have plans for that night."  
  
Cammy laughed. "Oh yes, you have your little tournament you always watch. Don't you ever think about anything other than fighting?"  
  
Matthew shot a cold look to her. "Do you know how much it would cost to get a tuxedo my size? Besides that, watching the tournament is much funner than dancing is. Right George?"  
  
George nodded his head. "Yeah, dancing sucks. You do the same steps to the same boring music." George over-exaggerated when he mimicked dancing. They could only chuckle in response.  
  
Wolfman smiled. "I guess you're right. We have nothing to worry about. A night at a ball would be a great way to put Morocco behind us."  
  
The ball was scheduled to take place three days later.  
  
The Encounter  
  
It looked just like the dress she had worn so long ago. Like the one from that final night in Spain with Vega. She remembered that night at the Saló del Tinell so vividly. She remembered the crowded dance hall and the immense feeling of loneliness even though so many people surrounded her. She remembered the large women nearly ambushing her from behind. She even remembered the blood dripping from Vega's claw. Like the dreams, which gave her a glimpse of her past, she long desired to get rid of them. She thought that she had succeeded also, but when she saw the dress everything changed. The years of lost memories seemed to return to her. The years of pain before the Shadaloo mission. The agony she felt when she had to fight Vega. The terror when Doctrine shot her. When the thought of Dark entered her mind she threw the red dress to the ground. Even looking at the dress, which did no more than look like the one from Spain still gave her chills. She took a deep breath. She still had two days to get over it. She put it away in her closet where it had remained for so long. She sat in the dark with her pink sundress and her long hair trailing down her back. She was startled by a knock on the door.  
  
She opened the door to see the man who's retirement she was soon to celebrate. She whispered harshly. "What are you doing here?"  
  
He replied with a mere two words. "They know."  
  
Cammy let him in and shut the door. "What are you talking about? Who knows what?"  
  
Vega shook his head. "My colleagues. They know I'm not the ambassador. They know it from the differences between us. I cannot speak of my past or of my personal likes. They have been on to me for a while now." Vega sat down on the couch. "They are going to put it together and figure out who I really am. I know they will."  
  
Cammy patted him on the back. "How can they know? You were supposed to have been dead for several years now. No one knows of your identity. Don't worry, you are safe now."  
  
Vega shook his head. "They have been following me. You are the only person I knew I could turn to."  
  
Cammy never thought she would see Vega like this. He was in a panic. "Calm down, Vega. You will be fine."  
  
Vega hastily responded. "This is terrible. What am I going to do after the dance? Do I just disappear and confirm their suspicions? Do I live life pretending to be who I am not? We never planned this out when we left Morocco. This is a hell of a lot harder than we could have ever anticipated. There are so many things that could make this fail. We can't make this work. It's impossible."  
  
Cammy turned his face toward hers. "This will work. You are just being paranoid. Calm down. Everything will be all right. The party will be a success and we will find a way to make this work. But we cannot if you don't play your part. You will be fine. Trust me."  
  
Vega looked into her eyes. Despite everything that could go wrong, he believed her. Something about her had changed him deeply. He rubbed his hand on the side of her face and smiled. She looked down to the floor and smiled. Vega rose to his feet and turned. He left out of the back door and made his way to the top of the building. Once again he jumped the London rooftops. It was harder than walking, but it didn't bother him. He was alive.  
  
The Dance  
  
She opened the door to see Wolfman in a tuxedo standing before her. Luwanda was beside him in a blue dress.  
  
They looked at her with a shocked expression. Luwanda talked in awe. "Cammy, you look beautiful."  
  
Cammy shyly smiled. It was odd for all of them. They had never seen each other so formally. There was a carriage on the curb. Wolfman explained. "Something provided for all the guests of the dance."  
  
Cammy nodded and they all got in the carriage. "So, where was this dance?" Cammy asked anxiously.  
  
Wolfman nodded his head. "Funny, I forgot too look there on the invitations. Oh well, it shouldn't be long until we arrive."  
  
In front of them was a beautifully lit building surrounded by trees. The coachman opened the door and they cautiously stepped out. It was a situation they were not accustomed to. Inside there was a crowded dance hall in front of a table which six men were sitting out. They recognized the British Prime minister and Vega among them. A man in suit greeted them and brought them to a table near the dance floor. Luwanda looked around at the wealthy people standing around. The six men at the top were all laughing and drinking their wine. There was a band, which was setting up to play.  
  
She shook her head and sighed. "I just feel so out of place here."  
  
Cammy chuckled. "Don't worry about it. These dances are nothing. Me and Vega went to one..."  
  
She stopped herself short while Luwanda and Wolfman were staring at her. She was thinking of what she would say to explain when the music started playing. She stood up and forced them together. "Hey, why don't you two dance? It will be fun." She pushed them out onto the floor then walked away and sat down again. She let out a sigh of relief.  
  
She sat watching the dancers for a few minutes when she felt a tap on her shoulders. She was surprised to turn around and see Vega standing there. "Now what is a pretty lady like you doing without a partner?"  
  
She smiled and took his outstretched hand. They walked to the dance floor as a band began to play another song. The men left at the head table watched them. One of them spoke with a stiff voice. "It appears that you were wrong. And I have won the bet."  
  
The other one scowled. "He was never like this before. It was only natural to see him as a little queer."  
  
The third man had a stern look on his face. "Something is not right about him. He is much too different than he used to be. And he has been quite anxious as of late."  
  
The first man looked at him. "Anyone in his situation would be anxious to get out of his job."  
  
The third responded. "No, it's not that. It's something more. Chombers was never a fighter, yet he played an integral role in the Moroccan mission. He was always talkative, yet he has kept too himself as of late. He doesn't respond to his name and his laugh is very different. It's of a much higher pitch."  
  
The second man questioned him. "And what exactly are you insinuating?"  
  
The third never averted his gaze. "That this man may not be Nigel."  
  
The first man scoffed. 'That's preposterous. Who the hell would that man be then?"  
  
The third's frown grew. "That I do not know."  
  
While they were talking the dance floor seemed to stop. They were all watching Vega and Cammy. They danced marvelously in the middle of the floor. A knock was heard on the window but the majority of those on the floor gave it no regard. They couldn't ignore the screams, which came when a multitude came running along.  
  
One of the men pulled a runner inside. "What is the meaning of this? What is going on?"  
  
The man was grasping for breath. "Explosion, downtown, big, fire." The man was babbling and the other man pushed him away.  
  
Wolfman and Luwanda looked at each other. "I guess the dance is over." They nodded and ran out. Cammy followed and despite the glare of the men at the table Vega followed them.  
  
The movement was slow against the crowd. Vega caught up to them. "It would be faster if we moved atop of the buildings. We wouldn't have to worry about the current."  
  
Wolfman turned his head to him and nodded. They ran into an ally and Wolfman and Luwanda began to climb the fire extinguisher. Vega grabbed Cammy and leapt up the wall. They waited at the top for Wolfman and Luwanda then began to run across the rooftops. They could see the black smoke in the air as they got closer to the city. When the reached the final rooftop they stopped cold in their tracks.  
  
Vega looked around at the wreckage. "Oh my god, Matthew and George are down there?"  
  
Cammy's eyes widened. "My god, they are!"  
  
Cammy, Wolfman, and Luwanda looked at each other. There was now no one coming out of the city. They made their way down from the building and walked into the smoking wreckage. Whole chunks of buildings were knocked off and sat on the ground. Brick sides were charred black and windows were blown out. They heard sirens approaching as they walked through. A wall, which was lying on a rubble heap, collapsed and they saw movement. When they saw Matthew slowly rising to his feet Cammy ran to him and hugged him. Everyone else also ran up to him. Luwanda grabbed and held George close to her. Matthew had shielded him.  
  
Wolfman looked around them only to find that there were no more survivors. "What happened here? Who did this?"  
  
Matthew was breathing heavily. "The man. He pointed any everything was gone."  
  
Wolfman was confused. "One man? How could one man do this?"  
  
Matthew had the same tone. "He said no one was worthy. He pointed to the ground, and everything blew up. Me and George were already gone, that's how we survived."  
  
Luwanda looked at Wolfman. "One man?"  
  
He nodded his head. "If Matthew says it was, than I believe him. But what I want to know is what kind of power it is that could destroy a portion of a city this large." He looked up on the horizon. "And what will it take to stop it?" 


	13. Part 2: The First Attack

World's Bravest Part 2  
  
Counted Losses  
  
"So, how many losses have been estimated?"  
  
"So far, around two thousand. Considering what could have been, I believe we were quite lucky."  
  
Vega shot the soldier a glance. "Two thousand people lost their lives for no reason whatsoever and you consider it lucky?"  
  
The soldier stepped back. "Well, not "lucky" sir. Just much less then it could have been."  
  
Vega snapped at him. "I would advise you never to call death "lucky" again. I would hate for someone to quote you on that." He turned and walked away from the soldier. Matthew and George were sitting on boxes and were wrapped in blankets. They sipped their coffee while the others stayed near them. "Wolfman."  
  
Wolfman stood and turned toward him. "What is it?"  
  
Vega replied methodically. "Do you plan on taking action?"  
  
Wolfman looked around. "At what? We have nothing to go off of." Vega replied in the same tone. "That's not necessarily true. If this person is anything like Matthew and George say he is, he won't stand by. I know he will attack again. And judging from what they said, he will attack the best."  
  
Wolfman was confused. "And who do you suppose that is?"  
  
Vega looked away. "I'd say that the Pan-American champion would be an ideal target."  
  
They all looked at him. They all knew who he was talking about, and it was a name they hadn't heard in the longest time.  
  
Cammy questioned. "Vega, are you thinking about?"  
  
Vega shook his head, still looking away. "Yes, Ken Masters."  
  
They were all a tad stunned. Wolfman questioned him. "Considering your past, do you think it would be wise to go harass a man across the ocean?"  
  
Vega closed his eyes. "Better then letting a father die."  
  
He sighed deeply as they looked at him. They knew what they had to do.  
  
Destined Encounter  
  
He walked along the street in his long trench coat. It was pouring down rain and his shoes splashed several puddles while he was walking. A boy beside willingly jumped in the puddles. He was about ten years old and looked much like his father who he was walking with. The man unlocked the a door and walked into a dark empty room. He took off his son's yellow rain jacket and put it on a hook. He shook the water out of his blonde hair and turned on the light. He looked up and immediately jumped back. There were six people standing there on the wall.  
  
He looked around to see if anyone else was there. His son grabbed his arm and pressed up against him. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"  
  
One of the men stepped up off the wall. "Mr. Masters, I am Col. Wolfman of Delta Red. We feel that your life may be in danger. Do not be alarmed."  
  
Ken looked at them. "What are you talking about? How the hell should I be fine with trespassers scarring the hell out of me and my son?"  
  
Wolfman responded. "Sorry about the manner of which we entered." He looked at the boy and sighed. "Have you heard of the explosion in London?"  
  
Ken chuckled. "Who hasn't? But what has that got to do with me?"  
  
Wolfman responded quickly. "Two of the individuals you see here were in London at that time. They were the only survivors. They report that it was a single man who caused it. And we fear that he may come looking for you."  
  
Matthew stepped up off the wall. Ken's son, Mel, shrank back when he saw him. "I was there when the man attacked. He single handedly blew up the entire section of the city. He said that since no one can beat him, he will make all fear him. We believe that he will search for more fighters. More specifically, the Pan-American champion. Mr. Masters, we request that you do not defend your title and that you lay low for a little while until we get this matter solved."  
  
Ken stared at them for a little while then began to laugh. "Get out."  
  
Matthew looked a little stunned. "Excuse me?"  
  
Ken's expression turned deathly serious. "You break in to my dojo and scare the hell out of me and my son. Then you claim that a single man blew out an entire block of London and that he wants to fight me, and that you want me to leave everything I have worked to achieve because of a hunch you have? Let's set one thing straight. I do not need your advice. Nor do I need your help. I have never backed down on intimidation and I have no intention of starting to now. Now if you won't leave on your own accord I will make you leave."  
  
Cammy stepped forward. "Ken, we are only suggesting this because we do not want to see any more innocent people die."  
  
Ken looked long and hard at her. Then it hit him. "You guys are the group from that Shadaloo mission! You bailed out on me when I was left to fight Ryu. I won't tell you again. Get out!"  
  
They left in a somber mood. Wolfman sighed. "He just won't listen."  
  
Vega responded. "Then we will have to go to the tournament. If the man wants Ken then he is sure to be there."  
  
Cammy nodded. "I'm surprised he didn't recognize you. He seemed to remember us."  
  
Wolfman nodded. "I think that's reasonable considering what he went through."  
  
Matthew was shaking. "So we are going to another tournament tomorrow?"  
  
Wolfman chuckled. "Don't worry, it won't be like the last one. We will make sure of it."  
  
The Tournament  
  
"You see it is imperative that we monitor this tournament for safety. You cannot risk the safety of all these people."  
  
The man they were talking to shook his head. "That is the stupidest story I have ever heard. There is no man powerful enough to explode London by himself. If you are going into the tournament, you are going to pay to enter, just like every other fan. You know how many people like you I have heard? Now get out of my office before I call security."  
  
Wolfman was shaking his head when he left. "How bloody hard can it be to help someone?"  
  
Luwanda laughed. "Well, it looks like we will have to do this the old fashioned way."  
  
They walked in to the large auditorium and stood in the back. The tournament went rather slowly. There was no sign of the man and Ken was pretty much going through unscathed. When he got to the last match he won in less than two minutes. He was being awarded his medal when the lights flickered and soon burned out. Screams filled the arena and the spectators trivialized over the lack of vision. Only Matthew and George knew what was really happening.  
  
They spoke together. "He's here!"  
  
Vega and Wolfman looked around in the dark. They could see the nothing. The lights flickered on and they saw a man standing in the middle of the ring. His arms were down by his side and he was staring straight at Ken. He chuckled a little. His voice boomed in the auditorium without even a microphone. "Is this all it takes to be a champion? A predictable pretty boy?"  
  
A scowl spread over Ken's face. "Let's see what this pretty boy can do."  
  
They couldn't get down to him fast enough to help him.  
  
Ken leapt at the man who never flinched. The man slid back a few feet after Ken dealt the blow. A smile grew on his face. He could hear Ken's family screaming as he slammed his foot into Ken's stomach. Ken fell to the ground, writhing in pain. The man slid forward and kicked Ken high into the air. He caught his falling body with one hand and held it high above his head.  
  
He spoke with an arrogant tone to his voice. "Is this the best the world can provide?" His hand began to glow with a radiant energy. He began to scream. "Soon the entire world will fear the name of Sheng Long." He tossed Ken into the air then slammed his fist to the ground. A pillar a flame erupted around him, engulfing them both. When it disappeared Sheng Long was gone. Ken's lifeless body fell to the ground.  
  
They could only watch in horror. 


	14. Part 3: The Next Victims

World's Bravest: Part 3  
  
Cruel Intentions  
  
The funeral was small and quiet. They watched from a distance as Mel and Eliza sobbed for the fallen warrior. They would not dare to make their presence known to them.  
  
They all thought the exact same thing, although only one could verbalize it. "I can't believe we failed."  
  
"We even knew where he was going to strike, but we couldn't do anything about it."  
  
"Now we have no idea where he will strike next."  
  
"What use would it be? We can't stop him anyways. I've never seen anyone that could do what he did to a person. Who are we kidding?"  
  
Vega stood up. "We can't just give up. We have to fight."  
  
Cammy stood up after Vega. "You've changed. You used to be a self- centered, egotistical bastard."  
  
Vega chuckled. "Would you rather me return that way?"  
  
They laughed to themselves before they left the scene. The failure was too much for them to handle.  
  
George was packing up in his hotel room when he first saw it. He had just flipped the television on and seen the news story. The scenes were graphic and the accounts were horrifying. George ran to everyone's room. "Turn on the television, there is something you have to see!"  
  
The murder took place in Japan. Two hours later they were on a jet flying there.  
  
Demon Fist  
  
He lifted the glass to his mouth and let the sweet elixir flow down his throat. His eyes were bloodshot and his mind was cluttered with thoughts of death and despair. It was a crushing blow when he learned of Ken's death. It was even worse when Eliza told him not to go to the funeral. Fighting had ruined her life and she wanted to sever all ties with that way of life. He crushed the shot glass between his fist and walked out of the bar. The street was crowded as he staggered along.  
  
Another man walked toward him. A man who knew everything about him, about his fighting style and every weakness he possibly had. While the drunken man was catching his breath on a light-post he walked up and chuckled.  
  
He spoke with a cocky tint to his voice. "Is this what the great street fighting champion was reduced? Binge drinking?"  
  
Ryu looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
He chuckled and took off his hat. He moved his head close to Ryu's and spoke in the same cocky tone. "You know who I am simply by looking into my eyes. You see the lives I have taken. You see the pain of immortality. You see your own worst enemy. You see the murderer of your friend. You see Sheng-Long."  
  
Ryu glared at him angrily. He did see it; he saw it all when he looked into his eyes. He took a drunken step toward him. Sheng-Long smiled and slammed his fist into Ryu's chest. Ryu's back slammed against the light post and he fell to a knee. He grabbed Ryu's face and laughed. "This is the best you can do? Attack in a drunken stupor?" He lifted Ryu by his neck and held him in the air. He began to squeeze his neck.  
  
They had just had a hard day of classes. They always walked home together now. College life had taken its toll and several hours of studying were in the works. "Hey Sak, isn't that Ryu over there?"  
  
Sakura lifted her head to see her hero being lifted. She didn't even answer her friend's question. Her fist slammed into the back of Sheng- Long's head. He stumbled forward a step then turned to see who had struck him. Sakura had her arms raised and was waiting for him to make a move.  
  
He released Ryu who was gasping for breath and cocked an eyebrow at Sakura. "Is this the best they have to offer? Very well then, if she wishes to die I would be happy to grant that wish." He made a deep stance and leaned toward her.  
  
Ryu saw he as he grasped for air. "Sakura? Go, run away."  
  
Sheng-Long's foot being slammed into his chest cut his words short. Ryu's head slammed against the light post and he nearly fell unconscious.  
  
Sakura couldn't see him coming. A woman's scream alerted all of Sheng- Long's attack. Sakura hit the brick wall hard and slid down to the sidewalk. The crowd widened around them. Sheng-Long began to walk forward toward her. He had a smirk on his face. "You have no idea what you have gotten into little girl."  
  
He stumbled forward as he felt a blow to his back. He turned his head angrily to see the other girl. Sakura stared on in horror. "Hinata, run!"  
  
The girl nodded and turned to run. Sheng-Long leapt over her and struck her from behind. She slid face first on the street. He grabbed her hair and lifted her up. He put his hand over his mouth and smiled. "You should never have moved." The blast traveled through Hinata's body. Smoke lifted from all the crevices of her body. He let go and she hit the ground, lifelessly sliding into an unnatural heap on the ground.  
  
Sakura fell to her knees in tears. "You bastard!"  
  
He chuckled. "Girls aren't meant to fight."  
  
She lunged angrily and him. His hand was straight as it pierced her stomach. Blood dripped off the tip of his fingers. There was a scowl on his face. Sakura was shaking uncontrollably. An eerie glow emanated from his arm. Smoke wafted from her mouth as a blast ripped through her from his arm. He pushed her off his arm. Sirens ripped through the dead air. He turned his head to drunken shotokan warrior. "See what happens when you get others to fight for you?"  
  
He walked away. The crowd parted for him. No one dared to stand in his way. Tears dripped down Ryu's face. On the sight of the corpses one in the crowd could be heard about to lose his meal. Ryu punched the ground, knowing there was nothing he could do. He knew Sheng-Long would return for him. 


End file.
